New York Knicks: NYK must remain patient with Mitchell Robinson
Mitchell Robinson exceeded expectations at the 2018 NBA Summer League, but the New York Knicks must remain patient with his development.
The New York Knicks have battled through the NBA Summer League to a 1-3 record so, with their lone win being last Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks. By far the greatest surprise of the summer thus far has been the outstanding play by their two 2018 draft picks.
The ninth pick, Kevin Knox, and the 36th pick, Mitchell Robinson, have exceeded expectations as the Knicks prepare to finish off their Summer League slate on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Drafted for his pure athleticism and upside as a rim-protector and floor-runner, Robinson has been a revelation for New York over the past week. The former five-star recruit slid down draft boards due to the fact that he hadn’t played a meaningful game in over a year.
The seven-footer has averaged12.8 points and 9.8 rebounds in 25.5 minutes per game though his first four outings. In addition to this, Robinson has averaged 3.8 blocks while shooting an efficient 71.9 percent from the floor.
The 20-year-old has not only impressed statistically, but he’s been performing freakishly athletic plays seemingly every trip down the floor.
Although Robinson has exceeded expectations in his first few appearances as a Knick, his development is far from finished. Robinson has been drafted as a player with the upside to be another rim-running big man in the ever-changing NBA.
He’s been dubbed as a prospect that could potentially be the next Clint Capela or Hassan Whiteside.
Capela and Whiteside, however, did not become double-double machines overnight. If the Knicks want to develop Robinson into a player who can be a crucial part of this franchise’s future, they will need to give him time to grow.
As the 33rd overall pick in the 2010 Draft, Whiteside, like Robinson, was drafted for his size and athleticism. It wasn’t until his fifth season as a professional player that he played more than 20 games—a season during which he averaged 11.8 points and 10.0 rebounds for the Miami Heat.
Prior to his breakout year, Whiteside had played 65 games in the G League over a five-year span, averaging a mere 7.2 points and 5.5 rebounds.
Drafted 25th overall by the Houston Rockets in 2014. Capela’s route to becoming a coveted free agent in 2018 included some time in the NBA G League. The G League is where he spent a majority of his rookie year, and he averaged 16.0 points and 9.7 rebounds in his 38 appearances.
Capela only entered an NBA game 12 times as a rookie, averaging 2.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in these games.
Having just completed his fourth year in the Association, Capela is now viewed as the perfect big man for the up-tempo system that Mike D’Antoni has implemented in Houston.
The moral of the story is that, although Robinson has looked promising over the past week, there should be no rush by the coaching staff to get him significant minutes in the NBA in 2018-19. Robinson still has significant holes in his game.
His offense can’t extend very much further than right under the basket, and he’s been inconsistent at the free throw line.
On the defensive end, Robinson needs to work to extend his defense to become a capable defender along the perimeter. He also needs to bulk up his slender frame in order to establish himself as a steady rebounding presence in the post.
With the surplus of centers that the Knicks currently have on the roster, Robinson should have the opportunity to follow in Capela’s footsteps and spend an ample amount of time in the G-League this coming season.
This would be the smartest move for New York’s front office to make, as he would surely benefit more from playing 25 minutes per game in the G-League rather than five-to-10 minutes per game in the NBA.
For now, it looks like the New York Knicks may have gotten a steal with the 36th pick of the 2018 NBA Draft.
Must Read: Five reasons to love the Mitchell Robinson pick
Mitchell Robinson has shown that he has the potential to become a formidable center in today’s NBA—if he’s given the time to develop.