NY Knicks: Examining How Derrick Rose’s Return Will Provide a Spark

NY Knicks: Mitchell Robinson could benefit from playing with Rose

Another Knick that has missed a few weeks has been starting center Mitchell Robinson, who hasn’t played since February 12th after suffering a fractured hand. His initial recovery timeline was 4-6 weeks.

Robinson is currently reaching 5 weeks since his surgery, hopefully meaning that he’ll be able to return to game action any day now.

Robinson and Rose appeared in just three games together but their minutes were mostly staggered as the 22-year old center was locked in as a starter and the 32-year old guard was a newcomer off the bench.

It would be wise to give them some minutes together when they both return, as they should complement each other well on both ends of the court.

Payton’s decreased assist numbers have also affected Robinson’s scoring totals, especially since the big man gets a large portion of his buckets from lobs. After averaging 9.7 points in 23.1 minutes per game last year, he’s putting up just 8.4 points in 28.8 minutes per game this season.

Nerlens Noel has stepped up to admirably fill the rim protection hole left by Robinson’s absence, but he doesn’t provide the same offensive savvy. He often bobbles passes from his teammates and doesn’t crash the offensive glass like his injured younger teammate. Robinson’s ability to grab offensive rebounds has been something the Knicks have desperately missed.

It’ll be a fun sight to see when Rose creates some chemistry with Robinson and the two connect for multiple lobs each night.