One Player Could Define Knicks Season

A New York Knicks center is on the cusp of playing again after almost a year off.

Apr 20, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) goes up for a rebound in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers in game one of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is expected to make his season debut in the next few games as he recovers from ankle surgery.

Robinson is the final "upgrade" the Knicks roster will get this season, so New York needs to do whatever it takes to ensure that it hits.

This is why Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes named Robinson the team's X-Factor going into the final two months of the season.

"Out since May following ankle surgery, Mitchell Robinson is on the cusp of rejoining the New York Knicks rotation," Hughes writes. "Question marks attach to almost every element of his return. His fit with Karl-Anthony Towns, his suitability for a roster that underwent major offseason changes, his ability to add depth to one of the league's most gruelingly overtaxed cores — all uncertainties," he continued. "His comeback isn't just a swing factor for the Knicks. It's one of the major stretch-run pivot points in the entire league."

"If Robinson pairs well with KAT, New York could shore up its interior defense, reintroduce gaudy offensive-board totals to its profile and match up better with the two-big looks preferred by East rivals in Cleveland and Boston," Hughes continued. "We've been waiting all year to see Robinson's impact. If things break right, he could lift New York into the true contender class."

The Knicks are clearly not in a spot that will have them beating the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers or defending champion Boston Celtics, but adding Robinson could get the team marginally closer.

At this point, the Knicks will take any improvements that they can get. If Robinson's return can have maximum impact, it may just make the Knicks more capable of beating one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference at some point during the playoffs this year.

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