Knicks Making Risky Mitchell Robinson Decision Before Back-to-Back

The New York Knicks have had to navigate a lot of injuries during the 2025-26 NBA regular season.

Currently, key reserve Miles McBride is sidelined after undergoing surgery for a core muscle injury. His availability for the remainder of the regular season is up in the air and is one of many expected obstacles the team has faced.

One player whose availability was going to be sporadically planned throughout the campaign was Mitchell Robinsin. The Knicks’ training staff deserves a lot of credit for having the big man available as much as possible after missing so much time for injury in recent years.

He has not played in both games of any back-to-back sets this season, and it will likely continue through the remainder of the season. Which makes the team’s decision for the upcoming back-to-back set so hard to understand.

Mitchell Robinson set to play against Raptors

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson warming up. — Feb 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) warms up before a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

New York is set to play on the road against the Toronto Raptors on March 3 before returning home to Madison Square Garden to play on March 4 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Based on how things have gone this season, it is fair to presume Robinson won’t be playing against the Thunder, especially with travel involved.

Which brings about the question: why wouldn’t the Knicks hold their star big man out against the Raptors, save him from traveling north of the border, and have him ready to go in a marquee matchup against the Thunder?

New York has already defeated Toronto three times this season, and none of the games were particularly close. 22, 16 and 27-point victories were secured by the Knicks in the three matchups.

Robinson didn’t play in the most recent game, as it was on the second night of a back-to-back set. New York has proven it can handle their Atlantic Division rivals, whether he is in the lineup or not.

Holding out Robinson for the game against the Thunder would certainly improve the team’s chances of winning both games.

Why would Knicks hold out Mitchell Robinson against Thunder?

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson on court — Jan 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

What could be the reasoning behind his playing against the Raptors instead? The standings could certainly play a part.

Toronto is only 3.5 games behind the Knicks in the Eastern Conference standings. This game holds more weight for seeding than one against Oklahoma City. Sweeping the regular season series from the Raptors would help cement their place as a top-three seed.

Also, this could be a bit of gamesmanship from head coach Mike Brown. He knows Robinson won’t be available for both games, so he has decided not to give the Thunder a full look at his squad against them, knowing another matchup with Oklahoma City looms on March 29.

Or, potentially even further down the road, if things go well for both teams, in the NBA Finals. Giving the Thunder as few opportunities to play against and subsequently adjust against the best that New York has to offer does make some sense.

This could also be a final test for Robinson, giving him the opportunity to play in a back-to-back set for the first time. With two remaining after this, it will be interesting to see if the training staff allows him to try or just stick to the plan to keep him healthy heading into the postseason.

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