Knicks Desperately Need Mitchell Robinson

Mitchell Robinson will help the New York Knicks in their biggest area of need.

Nov 8, 2023; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) fights for the ball against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are clamoring for backup center Mitchell Robinson to be back on the floor returning from a long-term ankle injury.

Robinson, 26, was thrown around in trade rumors as the Knicks approached last week's deadline, but the sign that New York kept him shows a sign of trust.

HoopsHype writer Mike Shearer emphasized the need for Robinson to be part of the team's plans on defense for the latter chunk of the season.

"As much as Knicks fans might want to pretend otherwise, next year was always going to be their best chance at a championship," Shearer writes.

"But it sure was difficult to watch the Celtics absolutely massacre Karl-Anthony Towns in the pick-and-roll over and over in their recent blowout victory over New York to the point that KAT had to lick his wounds (and those wounds are substantial – Towns clearly isn’t 100 percent) on the bench," he continued. ""Mitchell Robinson’s return date is still murky, but it can’t come soon enough for a Knicks squad that needs an off-speed pitch on the nights when Towns at center isn’t working defensively."

Robinson's return date was originally supposed to come in December, but it has continually been pushed back to January, February, and now, March 1. There were concerns that Robinson just wasn't responding well to treatment, but the Knicks' inactivity at the trade deadline looking for a center leads many to believe that the longest-tenured member of the team should be back soon, otherwise another move would have been made.

If Robinson can return to the Knicks and play the level of defense the team knows he can, New York should be a threat for many teams in the playoffs.

The Knicks' second half of the season begins next Thursday as they host the Chicago Bulls.

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