Mitchell Robinson is making an impact on offense that isn't being discussed

Through two games in the Knicks' second-round matchup against the Boston Celtics, Mitchell Robinson is a +16. That is the second-best +/- through these early second-round games, trailing only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's likely MVP.

Robinson's defense, effort, rebounding, and intangibles often get a lot of attention, and rightfully so. One part of Robinson's game that has not been getting enough recognition is the impact he has had on the offensive side of the ball through two games.

Now, I get it, when looking at his stats, there will probably be a lot of pushback to that statement. When looking at Robinson's stats, the rebounding and defense jump out. He's averaging two offensive rebounds and 5.5 defensive rebounds, as well as 1.5 steals.

The offensive stats, on the other hand, leave much to be desired. Of all players averaging at least 20 minutes in their second-round matchups (48 players), Robinson has scored the third-fewest points per game with 4.5. He is shooting a ton of free throws because the Celtics are fouling him intentionally. Of all players attempting 5.5 free throws per game, he has by far the lowest free-throw percentage, at 27.3 percent.

Robinson's screening is incredibly valuable

While Robinson hasn't been putting the ball in the basket, he has been setting the table for his teammates to do so. He has 13 screen assists in the two games and has been a key part of both of the Knicks' comeback wins.

Through the two games, Mitchell has set 15 picks for Jalen Brunson, which has generated an incredibly efficient 1.6 points per direct action, per the league's tracking data. Similarly, he has set 11 picks for Mikal Bridges, leading to 1.3 points per direct action, and nine picks for Deuce McBride, leading to 1.25 points per direct action.

The sample size is small, but those are wildly efficient returns. The playoffs are all about matchups, exploiting weaknesses, and countering your opponents' counters. Small sample sizes go out the window because sometimes all you need is a small sample to win a game.

Still, even if you expand it to the entire playoffs and set a minimum of duos that have combined to set 40 picks, Mitchell has still been among the best screeners in the game. For the whole playoffs, Robinson and Brunson have averaged 5.3 picks per game, which has generated 1.1 points per direct action. That ranks eighth in the playoffs.

Mitch is getting his flowers

Robinson is the Knicks' longest tenured player. He has spent his entire time there since being drafted with the 36th overall pick in the 2018 draft. It has been an up-and-down year for him, between coming back from surgery that caused him to miss most of the season, and learning to be a backup behind Karl-Anthony Towns.

On top of that, Robinson was a popular trade candidate for much of the season. His name was often included in fans' trade machine screenshots, and many theorized that he wouldn't be able to stay on the floor in the playoffs.

Robinson has proved them all wrong, and he is getting the recognition he deserves for doing so. He has also found a way to turn the Celtics' intentional fouls into a compliment, saying that it makes him, "Feel like a threat."