With 6:55 left in the first quarter of the New York Knicks' first game against their second-round opponent, the Philadelphia 76ers, they were dealt a harsh reminder of just how important Mitchell Robinson is to their championship hopes. And the big man had yet to play a single minute.
When Karl-Anthony Towns drew his second foul just five minutes into the first game of the series, Knicks head coach Mike Brown needed to pivot. Robinson got into early foul trouble himself, but came right back into the game after second-year center Ariel Hukporti fouled Joel Embiid in less than a minute of action.
Even amid Robinson's struggles from the free throw line, his value to the Knicks is immensely high. And he keeps proving it when the games matter most, right around this time of year, on an annual basis. New York needs to find a way to retain him in free agency, one way or another.
Robinson's role in Knicks' title hopes shows even when he isn't playing
The center ended up playing just 12 minutes in Game 1, with New York's 30+ point lead making it unnecessary to risk injury to Robinson or any of their starters for most of the fourth quarter. He was called for four fouls, he missed all four of his free throw attempts, and didn't record any steals or blocks.
The Knicks still won his minutes by six points.
Robinson is crucial to the team's identity, which he showed by grabbing four rebounds and assisting on a score. The big man has been integral to New York's playoff success in recent seasons, including against these 76ers. And the team will want to find a way to bring him back, given that his contract expires at the end of their playoff run.
Given that he's 28 years old, it's unlikely that Robinson ever improves substantially as a free throw shooter. But even in a game where his biggest weakness held him back, he still found a way to impact the win.
It was reported earlier in the season that the Knicks might be able to keep Robinson because they value him more highly than any other team in the league. It's fair to say that a two-point, four-rebound performance won't have other NBA teams lining up for the opportunity to pay him upwards of $20 million per season.
But the Knicks need Robinson to maintain their identity as one of the league's top defenses – and especially because Towns can find himself in foul trouble. The point isn't that Robinson joined him early. It's that New York's night may have gone differently if they had needed to lean on Hukporti five minutes into the quarter.
Nights like Monday show why Robinson is key to these Knicks, even when he's not playing at close to his best. He provides depth they simply can't go without.
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