Robinson’s injury woes persist
MITCHELL Robinson will be sidelined until December or January as he continues recovering from surgery on his left ankle to resolve a stress injury back in May. The big man has already missed 125 of 318 regular season games — equating to 39% — since the 2020-21 campaign and will rack up a few dozen more after this news broke.
That’s according to reputable reporting by FOX Sports’ Yaron Weitzman and Ian Begley of SNY.tv, with their sources saying New York are naturally proceeding with caution given the ankle issues he’s suffered through over the last year.
Couple that with internal confidence surrounding their frontcourt depth and versatility, they’ll now need to show it: performing well defensively without their starting center for three months or potentially longer. Who will step up?
Six-year pro Isaiah Hartenstein departed for last season’s #1 seed out West in the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency with a three-year, $87m contract, meaning a considerable chunk of their big man rotation has been lost without adequate replacement this offseason.
Julius Randle, who can play at center but is a power forward by trade, will return from his own shoulder surgery and isn’t a guarantee to tip-off the new campaign. We’ll know more about his status at next week’s media day, though his recovery is more straightforward and further along.
The three-time All-Star has been linked with a lucrative trade in recent seasons though nothing has materialised, at a time where valuations are more pronounced now a second apron and harsher financial penalties have been introduced.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau, who himself inked a new three-year contract extension over the summer, spoke about Randle probably playing some small-ball minutes.
Well-travelled shooting guard Landry Shamet (27) and veteran power forward Marcus Morris (35) both signed Exhibit 9 deals with New York earlier this month, as the Knicks look to close in on their 15th and final spot on the standard roster.
Robinson’s injury opens up the floor for both Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa – the latter acquired in a January trade – to assert their standing in the big man pecking order for a ball club eager to build on their injury-impacted run to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. We’ll wait and see if they can.
Picture source: Getty Images
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