Mitchell Robinson is the ultimate heart and soul of the Knicks
Mitchell Robinson is the longest-tenured New York Knicks player right now. He was drafted by the franchise in 2018 and recently signed a four-year deal worth $60 million. I guess the Knicks like what they see and therefore have Mitchell in their plans for the future.
Robinson impressed the Knicks before his rookie year in the Summer League. He set records for blocked shots and offensive rebounds, which led to him signing his first contract.
After a successful rookie season, he made the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. The following year, he broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record for highest field goal percentage in one season after shooting the ball at 74% in 2019-2020. Although he set an offensive record, the best thing about Mitch is his defense.
Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson shows flashes of Hall of Famer Ben Wallace
Mitch protects the rim by altering and swatting shots, which we love him for! I know we have stars in Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, and now Jalen Brunson, but I think this team starts with our center, Mitchell Robinson. He’s not a Joel Embiid or a Nikola Jokic, but Robinson is very impactful.
He’s not known to shoot from the outside or go coast to coast with the basketball, but he still has potential to be a great big man. There’s no doubt in my mind that Mitch can average a double-double this upcoming season. In fact, he actually reminds me of Hall of Famer Ben Wallace!
Ben Wallace was an undrafted player who went on to win an NBA championship and is now in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In back-to-back NBA Finals appearances, Wallace averaged 10 points and 11 rebounds. He was dominant on the defensive end with the Detroit Pistons and turned into a fan favorite.
Wallace kept up with centers that were much more skilled than him such as Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and most notably Shaquille O’Neal.
In the 2004 NBA Finals, Wallace grabbed more rebounds in each game as he averaged 12 and O’Neal averaged 10. Wallace was tough and determined in the paint, and so is Mitchell.
When he came into the league, Mitchell Robinson was known as the best shot blocker in his class. Standing at seven-foot, his athleticism is also something to get happy about! He excites Madison Square Garden whenever he leaps in the air for a thunderous block or a smooth alley-oop.
It’s hard not to like Mitchell Robinson because defense wins championships and you always need that guy — someone who knows their role and can be someone for the team to follow.
In Detroit, Ben Wallace’s defensive dominance rubbed off on his teammates. He was so good that Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups were forced to step it up on the defensive end. As Detroit relied on Wallace for defense, he relied on them to put up points. He knew that he didn’t have to contribute as much on the offensive end because he had guys like Billups, Hamilton, and Rasheed Wallace. This sounds a lot like the Knicks to me.
New York has scorers in Randle, Barrett, and Brunson. Evan Fournier can put the ball in the hole as well. Mitch can defer to all these guys and focus on what he is good at. That’s why he got his new contract, he deserves it!
Mitchell Robinson is the heart of the New York Knicks, and they will go in the direction that he does.
