Knicks May Have Put a Huge Weakness to Rest Before Cavs Game 1

Mitchell Robinson is giving Knicks more reason to be excited about his play in the conference finals. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

There will be plenty of attention on the Knicks' frontcourt in the conference finals as they take on the Cavaliers' elite big man duo. Winning in and around the paint will be crucial for New York, which means backup Mitchell Robinson will be in the spotlight.

However, we've seen Robinson struggle to crack heavy-minutes territory this postseason. One factor is his dismal free-throw shooting, as the Hack-a-Mitch has been an effective defensive strategy to slow down the Knicks' prolific offense.

But, in the lead-up to this Cavs series, it appears Robinson could be turning a corner at the charity stripe.

Mitchell Robinson's free throw tease could flip the script for Knicks if Cavaliers intentionally foul him

Robinson gave a tease of him taking strides with his free-throw shooting this past week while New York was off. The New York Post's Stefan Bondy captured the big man working on his form, which seemed improved, with shooting coach Peter Patton. Robinson even went 5-of-6 in this glimpse of potential progress.

Mitchell Robinson working with Peter Patton on free throws. You can see more air on his pre-shot routine spin. Goes 5 for 6. pic.twitter.com/QKqIKmxd4d

— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) May 15, 2026

That's not all, though. The Knicks center then posted on Instagram with the caption "I understand it now" and a photo of him with his revamped form at the free throw line. And in the comments, Robinson even told a fan, "I actually made 17 [free throws] in a row."

👀70% FT incoming pic.twitter.com/NK1oEUsWSs

— Mitchell Robinson Lover (@_nydyl) May 17, 2026

Now, it remains to be seen whether Robinson's practice success translates to a more pressure-packed live-game setting. But this is a huge possible development for New York with Cleveland on deck.

Robinson is an X-factor for this series with an excellent frontcourt duo on the opposite side of the court. He'll be key to taking advantage of the Allen-Mobley tandem, which -- while able to put up points and block shots with their length -- struggles on the boards (only 15.3 combined RPG in these playoffs) due to their lack of physical edge.

The Knicks deploying Robinson to physically overwhelm Mobley or Allen will be key to wearing them out and making them less effective. This should also ensure strong minutes from the Knicks' second unit when Karl-Anthony Towns and co. need to sit.

But if Robinson is put on the line quickly by the Cavs and he can't make two shots the majority of the time, Mike Brown would be forced to pull him. New York can't afford to come away with one or even zero points on multiple possessions in a row, especially when the reserves are trying to maintain or chip away at a lead. The Hack-a-Mitch working means less strain for the opposing defense as well, making their offense stronger.

Yet, if these free-throw premonitions come true, it swings even more in favor of the Knicks. They could have an easy two points whenever Cleveland decides to tempt fate with Robinson, and get the extra advantage of going into the bonus sooner than the Cavs would like, which creates more problems for Kenny Atkinson's team once the starters are back in.

It'd also ensure Robinson can stay on the floor to pester Allen and Mobley all series long. At seven feet and 240 pounds, Robinson has the size advantage over both Mobley (6-foot-11, 215 pounds) and Allen (6-foot-9, 243 pounds).

He can use that not only to get points or rebounds for himself but also to help his team's chances of advancing if both Cavaliers centers are pushed to exhaustion, even when KAT isn't on the floor.

If Robinson falters at the line, we would likely see Brown play Ariel Hukporti again, just like what happened in Game 1 against the 76ers. Though Hukporti held his own initially, that hope quickly fell apart as things went on. He's too green a player to see this kind of high-pressure minutes.

That makes being able to play Robinson with confidence essential, and alleviating any free-throw headaches would go a long way towards just that.