Missing Piece: Knicks’ Depth Takes Heat Without Reliabe Second-Unit Center
The New York Knicks have started the season with an incredibly thin rotation. Despite all five starters being healthy through the first seven games of the season, they are missing several key bench pieces, most notably seven-foot center Mitchell Robinson.
The Knicks are feeling the absence of Mitchell Robinson
Robinson is still recovering from ankle surgery he underwent in the offseason, which is expected to keep him off the court until at least 2025 (h/t ESPN’s Shams Charania). Last season, he missed 51 games with a previous injury to the same ankle that was re-aggravated during the postseason.
The lengthy absence resulted in the league-shifting trade that saw Karl-Anthony Towns come to the Big Apple. However, they are still greatly missing Robinson’s interior presence, as they are being gashed on the glass so far this season.
Perhaps the best example of his absence being felt so largely was Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks won the overall rebound battle 48-41 and snagged 16 offensive rebounds. Those extra opportunities prevented the Knicks from grabbing a big lead and containing the Hawks’ offensive attack.
New York also allowed 58 points in the paint against Atlanta, which followed a performance in which they allowed 62 points in the paint to the Houston Rockets. The Knicks ended up losing both games as a result of the inadequate defensive effort.
