WATCH: New York Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson shows what he’s capable of

The New York Knicks have a different presence on the court when Mitchell Robinson is playing his best ball.

New York got a much-needed win last night against a lowly Detroit Pistons team and Robinson was one of the stars of the game.

Even against a team they should beat handily, it was encouraging to see key players such as Robinson, Fournier, Randle, and Walker have productive games. The brand of basketball look a lot more focused last night.

New York Knicks: Can Mitchell Robinson keep this up?

This seems to be the recurring theme with Mitchell Robinson: Consistency. Or a lack thereof.

Flashes of great play and stretches where he just can’t complete easy plays on offense or defense. Really, this whole Knicks team has been inconsistent this season, so the ups and downs are not solely a Mitch problem.

It’s because of Robinson’s freakish athleticism and flashes of greatness early in his career that there is so much more expectation for him to be consistent now in his 4th year in the NBA.

Last night, Robinson’s prowess as a rim-runner was on full display. He was powerful, rangy, and making his presence felt on both ends of the floor.

Seeing Robinson finally get to play with a point guard

When you spend enough time in the dark recesses of NBA Twitter, or any corner of the internet really, you will be immersed by people who have never played a sport, critiquing professional athletes and their personalities and habits.

What gets lost online are the human elements of the game: Fatigue, chemistry, comfort and fit with the team, off the court problems, whatever it may be, there is always a multitude of factors for a young player’s success and failures.

I think we can agree that Mitchell Robinson has become more outspoken with his social media posts lately, but that doesn’t have to be a death sentence. There are more than a few aloof professional athletes who are more than successful on the field.

Mitch’s goofy personality often gets misconstrued with being “lazy” or “unfocused” which really, there is zero evidence of. That narrative has never come from a coach, teammate, reporter, or anyone who knows what’s actually going on.

You do wonder about how Mitchell Robinson was questionable to even play in the season opener but ended up being thrust right into a prominent role. Perhaps he was being brutally honest when he said he was still working on his conditioning.

Maybe, just maybe, he’s starting to get his legs back. It’s tough to be out for so long and then immediately jump back into heavy NBA action.

This is the final year on Robinson’s rookie contract and really, the only way I see Robinson getting traded is for a potential upgrade at center. Myles Turner, whose name has been floated in the rumor mill, seems like the only target where involving Mitch would make sense. I promise you, the New York Knicks would not like to have a big-man rotation of Nerlens Noel, Taj Gibson, and Jericho Sims.

Not only that but the Knicks have Mitchell Robinson’s bird rights. They were reportedly very impressed with how he handled his offseason.

We saw Mitch string together some great stretches of play last season before getting injured and maybe, just maybe, we’re starting to see that version of Mitchell Robinson again.