Mitchell Robinson proved his importance to the Knicks without playing a minute

Sometimes, a player’s value becomes even more powerful when they’re not around to provide it. The New York Knicks just discovered this with Mitchell Robinson.

As part of the team’s plan to manage his surgically repaired left ankle, the 27-year-old sat out Monday’s road tilt against the New Orleans Pelicans. Though the Knicks picked up the victory, it didn’t come easy, in large part because they didn’t have Robinson at their disposal—whose absence was felt at both ends.

New York missed their big man most on the offensive glass. It grabbed 28.6 percent of its own misses, a mark that significantly trails the 33.7 percent clip they posted entering the game. On the other side of the floor, the Knicks allowed 1.25 points per possession. It is the sixth time all year they’ve surrendered that much—and just the second time they’ve won while doing so.

Scooping up the victory validates New York’s burgeoning identity as a team that scraps and claws, and has a margin for error. It also served as a reminder that Robinson isn’t merely some quaint x-factor.

Mitchell Robinson’s impact on the Knicks is kind of absurd

While few people need to be clued into Robinson’s impact on the offensive glass, Monday’s win was a reiteration of just how much the Knicks depend on it. Their first-chance scoring is elite—the third-best in the league, clocking in around 1.23 points per possession. But their second-chance offense is even scarier, coming in at 1.35 points per possession.

It should come as no surprise that the Knicks create more mulligans with Robinson on the floor. And yet, the degree to which he boosts their offensive rebounding is bonkers. 

The Knicks’ offensive rebounding rate when he plays spikes by 14.8 percentage points. That’s the absolute largest swing in the league, and a huge part of why the offense overall is so much more efficient with him on the floor. 

Less celebrated is the influence this has over New York’s defense. Robinson’s on-off splits at the less-glamorous end aren’t pretty, but he’s picked up his intensity in recent weeks. More to the point, his offensive-rebounding prowess gives the team more time to set its defense. 

The Knicks hover around the bottom 10 in points allowed per possession after missing a two-point attempt, including when they botch a look at the rim. After making a two-pointer, however, they are eighth in points allowed per possession. And they’re first in points allowed per possession after making a shot at the rim.

Grabbing offensive rebounds is a huge part of the Knicks getting themselves into those most favorable defensive positions. It gets much harder to do that without Robinson. Case in point: Their offensive rebounding rate at the rim jumps by 28 percentage points with him on the floor. This all says nothing of the extra physicality he can provide on the defensive glass himself, or against bigger bodies with filthy second-jumps, like Zion Williamson.

New York needs Mitchell Robinson to win it all

No part of this is meant to be a revelation. But as the trade deadline looms, along with Robinson’s foray into unrestricted free agency, it’s important to reiterate the stakes.

New York is in Finals-or-bust mode. It’s also trying to keep this window open as long as possible. The latter will get harder to do this summer. Robinson’s expiring contract is a natural pivot point. 

If the Knicks decide they can’t afford to pay him, do they just let him walk this summer, or try to extract value from him at the trade deadline? This was at one time a valid question. It’s not anymore. New York can’t replicate what Robinson does in-house, or even on the trade market. 

Flaws and all, what he does is irreplaceable. The Knicks already knew that. And if there was any lingering doubt, it was eradicated in the win over the Pelicans. New York has only one option as a result: keep Robinson through this season, hope he’s available when it matters most, and then deal with the fallout of his impending free agency later.