3 difficult offseason decisions the Knicks must make
By Adam Kester
Should the New York Knicks re-sign Mitchell Robinson?
It seems like this is the question that we’ll be hearing about the most because of how time-sensitive it is and how divided everyone seems to be on Mitchell Robinson.
The 23-year-old center has developed into a very solid NBA player in his young professional career. We saw Robinson enter the league as an incredibly raw prospect and not even just your typical raw NBA prospect — he was someone who didn’t play any form of organized basketball leading up to the draft.
Robinson’s freaky athleticism and flashes in his rookie season gave fans high hopes that he was a steal in the draft. Fast forward to today, and Robinson has made big strides, but perhaps not enough to woo people into thinking that he’s a key part of the team’s future.
It’s easy to be torn. I have written numerous times about Robinson’s career trajectory and how he compares to rim-running centers such as Clint Capela and DeAndre Jordan. Robinson is still years away from his prime and he has the tools to be that level of player, but where I really struggle is just how valuable that archetype of a rim-running center truly is.
The Atlanta Hawks likely regret Capela’s five-year 90 million dollar contract. While he’s still a good player, the center has kind of been puttering around as exactly that — a good player, but not much of a difference-maker.
Can Robinson continue to develop his big-man game to the point where he’s being talked about as one of the game’s elite rim protectors? Maybe if Robinson is closer to the 12-million per year range, it makes sense. However, he could end up asking for a hefty second contract.