The New York Knicks have taken a playoffs-first approach thus far. New head coach Mike Brown has made clear that any experiments or limiting of minutes in the regular season are to optimize their championship odds. That has included sitting Mitchell Robinson out of half of any back-to-backs in the schedule. Recently, though, Robinson was ruled out for two straight games despite having time to rest before, in between, and after each of them. Fans just got the answers they were missing, with the absences being planned rest due to the team's "grueling schedule," per Stefan Bondy.
Robinson missed games for "planned rest" per reporter
When Mitchell Robinson was ruled out of the team's game against the New Orleans Pelicans for injury management, it made some sense. Despite the game not being part of a back-to-back in the schedule, no suspicions were raised.
Robinson's ankle management has been delicate. Brown has made clear in numerous press conferences that the Knicks' medical staff is in charge of the management of Robinson's health and that the center's agent is looped into those conversations.
The team then ruled Robinson out a day in advance of Wednesday's NBA Cup Championship rematch against the San Antonio Spurs. Fans began to wonder if the big man had reaggravated an injury or if his future availability would need to be in question.
On Wednesday afternoon, Knick fans got the clarity some were looking for with regard to their longest-tenured player's health. The New York Post's Stefan Bondy shared on social media that, according to a league source, Robinson's absences against the Pelicans and Spurs were "part of a planned rest because of grueling schedule."
Playoff success would override regular season absences
It's impossible to fully prevent any sort of injury from occurring in sports. However, the Knicks and Robinson have seemingly calculated that, while the center may not end up eligible for any postseason awards under the league's 65-game minimum, these sacrifices are worth it.
In exchange, both parties get added comfort regarding Robinson's potential availability. The center missed a total of 116 games over the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. He's also been massively important, pun intended, for them in postseason play.
The teams' first round series against the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers would certainly have gone differently without his presence in the paint. Having him healthy for the upcoming playoffs is crucial to the team's championship pursuit.
It would be reasonable for fans to retroactively be frustrated about all of the missed time during the regular season if Robinson is a non-factor in the postseason. If the center helps them win another series, though, it's hard to imagine anyone up in arms about that Wednesday night in December.