Knicks face daunting decision as Mitchell Robinson nears return

The "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" expression is relevant to this year's Knicks regarding their starting lineup. 

The five-man unit of Karl-Anthony Towns (24.8), Mikal Bridges (17.5), OG Anunoby (16.0), Josh Hart (14.8) and Jalen Brunson (26.0) is combining for 99.1 points per game, the most by any starting five since the 1986-87 Celtics that posted 95.8 points per game. Furthermore, New York's starting unit is one of the NBA's most efficient five-man lineups, shooting 50.6 percent in its 19.2 minutes on the court together.

Surely, the Knicks don't want to mess up that chemistry, right? That argument would have been valid until this past weekend when the Cavaliers and Celtics steamrolled Tom Thibodeau's men, exposing the obvious chinks in their armor on the defensive end. The Knicks gave up a whopping 116 paint points in the two losses, a continuing trend for a team unable to protect the rim. 

New York ranks No. 22 in rim protection, giving up 49.9 points per game due to Towns' inability to man the glass. The obvious solution is to insert the returning Mitchell Robinson into the starting unit. Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Robinson will make his season debut next week after recovering from offseason ankle surgery.