New York Knicks: Mitchell Robinson makes well-deserved return to starting

Mitchell Robinson will start at center for the New York Knicks for the rest of the 2018-19 season.

Mitchell Robinson‘s biggest opportunity has arrived with the New York Knicks, and it’s no joke. Per Marc Berman of the New York Post, with Saturday’s loss to the Miami Heat, head coach David Fizdale named his 21-year-old rookie the starting center for the rest of the season.

As a result, DeAndre Jordan took an absence via coach’s decision, and Luke Kornet received an uptick in playing time.

"“I can’t speak highly enough about DJ,’’ Fizdale said. “I spoke to [Jordan] today about it. Asked him what he thought. The pro that he is — exactly what he’s been since he got here. He sacrificed not going to another team to stay here with the Knicks to help Mitchell."

Jordan proved to be a pro in this situation, with stepping back for Robinson’s development. Plus, with only six games left, there is little for this veteran center to lose, unlike Enes Kanter‘s mid-season tirades over losing his playing time.

For Robinson’s start, he played 37 minutes and finished with nine points, 14 rebounds, three steals and four blocks. This followed up the career-high night of 19 points and 21 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors.

It’s a second chance for Robinson in the starting lineup, but in a potentially permanent situation that extends into the 2019-20 season. He received 12 straight starts from Oct. 26 to Nov. 18, but in just 20.8 minutes he had 5.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 fouls, and Fizdale reverted to Kanter and Kornet at center.

"“Early in the season we tried to start [Robinson] and it was too early,’’ Fizdale said. “He was getting in foul trouble. With a few games left in the season, let’s take a look at it before the season’s up. To see if he can play big minutes and stay out of foul trouble."

Now, the Knicks have their future closer than ever. The offseason will start the night of April 10, and it leaves little time left to evaluate who partakes in the long-term plans. However, it’s difficult, maybe impossible, to keep Robinson out of the mix after the past 60 days. His 9.4 points and 9.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocks have shown improvement — and one of the few positives of this Knicks season — towards what he could become in one, two, three or five years down the road.

The foul trouble still lingers, and Robinson just had a three-game stretch of 15 total fouls. That and no visible offensive game outside of putbacks and alley-oops, although his aggressiveness under the hoop has taken off — coincidence or not — since New York acquired Jordan in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, to offset the flaws.

What kind of numbers can Robinson put up as a starter? The Heat game was one indication, but those breakout games off the bench teased it. If he can deliver another 19 points and 21 rebounds starting, it will only increase the excitement of the potential benefits by October, when a full season of opening games begin.

In the meantime, New York Knicks fans can only hope Robinson makes the most of his opportunity, before the all-important offseason arrives and changes the roster. Everyone is at stake, and who knows where the 15-man group will stand by the fall.