Analyst: Knicks Losing Another Center 'Big Deal'

The New York Knicks are off to a bad start just before training camp.

Apr 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) warms up before game five of the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Training camp has yet to begin, but there are already some alarm bells surrounding the New York Knicks, specifically with their center position.

Having already lost Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Knicks were short-handed at the center position. Mitchell Robinson was expected to be the team's starter, but with reports coming out that he won't be healthy until December or January, the Knicks have a few people hitting the panic button.

ESPN analyst Zach Lowe spoke about his concerns with the Knicks on "NBA Today."

"This a big deal. We could look back in six months and say that Isaiah Hartenstein changing teams was maybe the most impactful move of the offseason — or one of them, along with Paul George — both for Oklahoma City and the void it leaves now with the Knicks," Lowe said h/t Sporting News contributor Scott Davis.

"It's not just defensively, with the rebounding and size and rim protection Mitchell Robinson brings. The Knicks under [Tom Thibodeau] have been the best second-shot offensive team in the entire NBA. They are an offensive rebounding machine. They put those back in, they get fouled. Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein were basically all of that last year."

The Knicks will have to rely on a trade, free agent signee or players like Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims to fill the void while Robinson is out.

The Knicks made a lot of progress in the offseason towards becoming a true contender this season, but all of that could be erased if the team struggles out of the gate.

Just four games separated the Knicks at No. 2 from the Miami Heat at No. 8, so every game matters in the Eastern Conference, and New York losing Robinson certainly puts the team at a disadvantage to begin the year.

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