An area that has given the New York Knicks trouble this season is interior defense. Karl-Anthony Towns is not an imposing defensive threat, and they have been without Mitchell Robinson all season so far as he continues to recover from offseason ankle surgery.
The Knicks are badly missing Mitchell Robinson
Without him, the Knicks’ defensive numbers have been very uncharacteristic for a Tom Thibodeau-led team. They rank 26th in rebounds per game at 42.1 and 27th in blocks at 4.2. New York also has just the 18th-best defensive rating at 114.1.
Despite that, the Knicks have gotten off to a strong 14-9 start thanks to being the top offense in the league. However, the defense has been a massive flaw for them and has been exposed numerous times, such as allowing 18 threes to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
Robinson’s return will allow other defenders to use their strength
Robinson’s return will help fix that, as it will allow for guys like OG Anunoby to be used on the perimeter more often. He has been a hybrid defender this season so far, having possessions guarding the perimeter and others playing as a help defender on the interior thanks to the lack of size the team currently has.
Robinson is one of the league’s most imposing interior threats. For his career, he averages 8.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. He has also established himself as one of the top offensive rebounders in the NBA. Without him, the Knicks have struggled on the offensive glass, securing just 9.1 offensive rebounds per game so far this season (24th in the NBA).
Precious Achiuwa’s return will also help the defensive issues. He returned from a hamstring issue last week after missing the first 21 games of the season, though his action has been limited thus far and he continues the ramp-up process.
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The Knicks need Robinson to stay healthy once he returns
When Robinson returns to the floor at some point, they will need him to stay healthy the rest of the way to provide a spark defensively. His tenacity on that end of the floor could make the Knicks a significantly better defensive unit, but they need him to be more available.
In the meantime, the Knicks will continue to trot out Jericho Sims or Achiuwa as the backup center until Robinson is ready to return. Luckily for them, they have a favorable schedule in December, so the hope is that they can handle business this month and have a fully healthy team by the time January rolls around.
