It has been a while since the New York Knicks had Mitchell Robinson on the court. The 25-year-old (turns 26 on April 1) hasn’t played since December 8. He underwent ankle surgery and has now missed each of the Knicks’ last 47 games.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post provided some good news on Wednesday. He reported that the seven-foot Robinson was a full participant in practice on Wednesday.
Knicks Injured Big Man Participates in Full Practice
When Will Robinson Return?
While this qualifies as positive news for the Knicks, it is still unclear when Robinson will return to action. Head coach Tom Thibodeau clarified that Wednesday was not an extended practice. The team is currently on a West Coast trip, with the final game on Thursday against the Denver Nuggets.
Thibodeau made a few other comments, including that Robinson needs to go through contact drills for some time before being cleared by the team doctors. He also stated that Isaiah Hartenstein would remain the starting center when Robinson returns. That is understandable, given that Robinson hasn’t played in over 3.5 months. Whether he regains his starting position at some point remains to be seen.
Robinson Was Making a Huge Impact Before Injury
It could be said that Robinson, now in his sixth season, was in the midst of his best one before his ankle injury. This is despite averaging a career-low 6.2 points per game.
Robinson is also averaging a career-low 1.3 blocks, but there are reasons behind that. He wasn’t chasing after blocks like he may have been in previous seasons. This season, Robinson is averaging just 2.3 fouls per 36 minutes. He never averaged less than 3.6 in any of his first five years. Not fouling and being an elite rim protector had many predicting a possible All-Defensive Team spot for Robinson this season.
Also, his role on offense extends much further than not scoring much. Robinson is definitely in the discussion for the best offensive rebounder when healthy. In his 21 games this season (29.2 minutes per game), he averaged 5.3 boards on the offensive glass.
Will Robinson and the Knicks be Full-Strength Come Playoff Time?
Last season, New York advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2013. The opportunity to do at least the same this year is there again, but getting healthier will make that more likely.
Other than Robinson, starting forwards Julius Randle and OG Anunoby have been out of the lineup. Anunoby returned from an elbow injury for three games that kept him out for 1.5 months. He is out again, missing Monday’s game against the Golden State Warriors. He is listed as out for Thursday’s match against the Nuggets. Randle has been out since January 29 with a separated shoulder.
The Knicks currently sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are 1.5 games behind the third-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers but just a half-game ahead of the fifth-seeded Orlando Magic. A top-four seed ensures a home-court advantage in the opening round of the postseason.
