The Knicks are missing Mitchell Robinson’s physical presence

The Knicks have dropped two straight games and have been reminded of why they miss Mitchell Robinson’s physical presence in the paint. Robinson has been out of the Knicks lineup since he fractured his foot back on March 27th. Robinson had successful surgery on his foot on March 29th and while he’s never had a clear timetable for return it seems doubtful that he will be able to return this season.

After Robinson went down, the Knicks proceeded to have a big month of April where they finished with an 11-4 record. When everything is rosy and you’re winning games, it’s easy to forget about deficiencies that are being fixed with an effective bandaid. This week, the Knicks got a reminder of what they’ve been missing that their 23-year-old big man provides.

Knicks: Mitchell Robinson’s physical presence isn’t easy to replace

Mitchell Robinson had made some significant strides in his game prior to his injury. Center is the one position that no matter what is always going to take a few years to develop into an impact player in the NBA. Robinson, who didn’t play organized basketball prior to being drafted, made some nice progress in his third NBA season.

Added strength and improved positioning saw Robinson turn into an effective rim running, defensive anchor under Tom Thibodeau. His positive impact can often go unnoticed. There are important components of Mitchell Robinson’s game that can be vital to the success of the team.