Knicks Injury Among Top Post All-Star Break Storylines

The New York Knicks will be getting some major reinforcements back into the lineup extremely soon.

As Mitchell Robinson gears up for his long-awaited mid-season return, the Knicks will finally have their defensive cornerstone back in the lineup to help anchor the middle and emerge as an invaluable piece to New York's two-way success moving down the second-half stretch of the season.

It's no secret how important Robinson is to the Knicks' puzzle, which is what makes his reimplementation back into the rotation such a major factor to watch unravel.

Robinson was even placed as one of the most notable plots to watch unfold as we move into the post-All-Star stretch of the NBA season by CBS Sports' Brad Botkin.

"This is no small matter," Botkin claimed. "You're talking about a seven-footer who was an elite rim protector and the best offensive rebounder in the league the last time we saw him. That can be a monster addition for the Knicks, who can now play two-big lineups with Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns at times and also ride Mitchell's defense in the non-Towns minutes. We get the next seven-ish weeks to see how Mitchell looks and how Thibodeau is deploying him. It's a brand-new reason to pay attention to a team that has otherwise already shown us everything that it is."

Robinson will get back into the fold as the Knicks' much-needed defensive anchor with an ability to play behind, or next to Karl-Anthony Towns thanks to the star big man's versatility that he had shown with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

His reintroduction will also make for a considerable upgrade for the Knicks' struggling defensive unit. Despite the two-way presence they have held down with Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart on the perimeter, New York has remained an average team on defense.

The Knicks are currently ranked No. 18 in the NBA for defensive rating at 114.1, marking the need for improvement if New York wants to be a serious playoff threat when the time comes. Enter Robinson, who can improve the outlook dramatically.

Getting Robinson to return to the lineup should be a massive helping hand in those improvements, but it remains to be seen how high the ceiling can go with him in the frontcourt next to his massively changed surrounding cast since the last time he suited up in 2024 –– further adding to the appeal for when his time comes to suit up once again.

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