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Will Mitchell Robinson's Return Be Enough for Knicks?

The New York Knicks can benefit from Mitchell Robinson coming back, but they may need more reinforcements.

Jeremy Brener

Apr 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) handles the ball against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) during overtime in game 5 of the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Apr 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) handles the ball against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) during overtime in game 5 of the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks are riding in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference so far this season.

Their offense is helping them emerge to becoming an above-average team, but the defense is preventing them from being elite.

Reconfiguring the lineup with Karl-Anthony Towns has helped the offense, but the defense has taken a hit after losing Isaiah Hartenstein. That's why the Knicks could benefit from the return of Mitchell Robinson, who has yet to play this season due to his recovery from ankle surgery.

"Fortunately, we know Towns can be part of an elite defense if he's not tasked with anchoring the back line. That's exactly how things played out when he worked alongside Rudy Gobert in Minnesota last season," Bleacher Report contributor Grant Hughes writes.

"Mitchell Robinson isn't a defender on Gobert's level, but his size and length could make him a decent facsimile. Is fixing the Knicks' defense as simple as waiting for a true rim-protector to get healthy and/or come aboard via trade? Or do the issues go deeper than that?"

Robinson was expected to return by December or January, but his timeline continues to be pushed back. Now, there's reason to believe he may not be back until February or even after the All-Star break.

When Robinson comes back, he will be slowly ingratiated into the lineup. He won't start next to Towns and play 35 minutes a night. In the playoffs, he may barely crack Tom Thibodeau's small rotation.

Robinson is a depth piece at best for the Knicks, which is why the team's defensive woes won't be saved solely by him. While he and Precious Achiuwa can help, the Knicks either need to make another major personnel change or figure out how to play better with the crew that they have.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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