Over the last few seasons, the Knicks' identity has become resilience, toughness, and, perhaps most importantly, rebounding. At the heart of all of that is the Knicks' longest-tenured player, Mitchell Robinson. New head coach Mike Brown explained how the big man can win games on his own, solely from his offensive rebounding.
It is unclear at this time if Robinson will be thrust into the Knicks' starting lineup, as he was during the Eastern Conference Finals. What is clear, though, is that Robinson has the ability to take over games in ways that few others have ever been able to in the history of the game, his activity on the offensive glass.
Big Mitch is a monster on the glass
Robinson is one of the most elite per-minute rebounders in the game, full stop. He has a unique ability to devastate the opposition by extending plays multiple times on a single possession, while he and his teammates stack up second-chance points. It is incredibly deflating to be on the other side of that, and something that gives the Knicks a huge edge.
In the playoffs last season, the Knicks scored four more second-chance points per 100 possessions when Robinson was on the floor compared to when he was off. Similarly, their offensive rebound percentage rose by a staggering 10 percent when Robinson was on the floor.
Robinson had 26 offensive rebounds in the playoffs last season that led directly to a made basket, which trailed only Isaiah Hartenstein, who played 146 more playoff minutes than Robinson did. In total, the Knicks scored a whopping 306 second-chance points in the 2025 playoffs, trailing only the World Champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who played five more games than the Knicks did.
The Knicks have multiple elite rebounders
Robinson is arguably the best offensive rebounder in the entire league, but the Knicks have plenty of other great rebounders on their roster. Karl-Anthony Towns is a phenomenal defensive rebounder, and Josh Hart very well could be the best inch-per-inch rebounder in the game.
It is part of the identity that they have created and become known for, and something that now gives them a unique advantage as they embark on a quest to reach the NBA Finals for the first time this century. While the offense is going to change a lot under Mike Brown, that rebounding should remain consistent and will very likely be a deciding factor in several games.