New York Knicks fans got one of their wishes granted on Thursday when Precious Achiuwa made his regular-season debut after straining his hamstring in the preseason. He finished with two points, four rebounds, and one assist in 12 minutes.
Now the attention has shifted to Mitchell Robinson. The center underwent his second ankle surgery of the 2023-24 season in May. ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Robinson isn't expected to return until January at the earliest. However, Robinson recently posted his Christmas list on his Instagram story and said he hopes to play by Dec. 25.
Tom Thibodeau said earlier this week that Robinson hasn't been cleared for contact yet. Things appear to be progressing well, though. Robinson traveled with the team on their recent road trip, which started in Phoenix and ended in Charlotte.
New York has to be particularly careful with Robinson, as he's dealt with several injuries throughout his career. He underwent ankle surgery last December and returned in March even though he wasn't 100 percent. Returning earlier than he probably should've isn't what contributed to him having surgery on the same ankle (remember Joel Embiid?), but the Knicks still need to play it safe.
Mitchell Robinson's tweet has Knicks fans hopeful he'll return soon
Fans are anxiously awaiting Robinson's return, especially after his tweet from Thursday night. He tweeted, "LETS GOOOOO GOT SOME GREAT NEWS." Robinson didn't add context to his tweet, but fans assumed it pertained to his injury status.
Maybe Robinson found out he's cleared for contact, which would be a big step toward him playing again. He might be on track to play by Christmas, after all. Or his tweet could have nothing to do with basketball and instead be about Robinson getting a new truck. You never know with him.
New York will play again on Saturday, and a reporter could ask Thibodeau if there's been an update on Robinson. He's still at least a few weeks away from returning, and he won't jump in and play 30+ minutes per game. His conditioning will need to get up to speed.
Fans are crossing their fingers, hoping Robinson's great news means he'll return sooner than expected. He'll help transform the Knicks' lackluster defense, and it'll be fun to watch him (hopefully) play alongside Karl-Anthony Towns.