NY Knicks: Analyzing the preseason studs and duds
By Kieran Lynch
NY Knicks: Preseason Dud #2 – Mitchell Robinson
While he only played in one game, I decided to include Mitchell Robinson as a preseason dud solely due to the fact his post-game comments did not inspire confidence in his ability to bounce back quickly from last year’s foot injury.
Robinson has been sidelined nearly six months after undergoing surgery on his right foot and is preparing to return for the Knicks 2021-2022 season opener.
Mitch was healthy enough to return to action for the Knick’s final preseason game in which he played 27 minutes, going for 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals. Not great, not terrible.
After the game, Mitch told reporters he felt ‘real tired’, and that he’s still getting back to full speed, noting that he was ‘not yet at a halfway point’ to getting his conditioning back.
While I love seeing Mitch back on the court in any capacity, playing a full preseason would have likely done wonders for his conditioning before the NY Knicks’ first regular season game.
The Knicks are already thin enough at the center position. Nerlens Noel is doubtful for the season opener with ‘knee pain’, meaning Taj Gibson and Mitch will have to hold down the fort until Noel is healthy enough to return.
Mitch’s potential cannot be overlooked, but he also has a difficult time staying healthy and avoiding foul trouble when on the court.
If he is still struggling to get back to full speed, I can see him falling into foul trouble once again while trying to keep up on defense against players who have a full offseason under their belt.
I do believe Mitch can return to his former self in the early part of this season. It’s just unfortunate Noel is dealing with a setback in his knee, which may accelerate Mitch’s timeline into playing big minutes in exchange with Taj Gibson.
Sure, preseason is just preseason. It’s not rational to overreact to a just few games of basketball. Yet, it can give you a peek into the regular season and set up some interesting storylines, both good and bad.
It’s also difficult to complain when your team goes 4-0 in preseason play, capping it off with a buzzer-beating game-winner from Julius Randle. However, the real work has yet to begin. The New York Knicks have some high expectations this year.
Let’s hope the revamped roster can build on last year’s success and bring us back to the playoffs once again.