The New York Knicks have been patiently waiting for center Mitchell Robinson to return to the court, but it could be longer than initially anticipated before he is playing games again.
Mitchell Robinson is not expected to return for at least an additional month
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Robinson isn’t likely to return until either late January or early February. Robinson underwent ankle surgery in the offseason and the initial hope was that he would be able to return by the start of the new calendar year.
“I’m told he’s unlikely to get cleared until at least late January into February, so that pushes his timeline a bit. They need to see whether he comes back & healthy & can play or do Knicks look at the market…potentially need another big off the bench,” Charania said on NBA Countdown prior to the Knicks’ game against the Hawks on Wednesday.
The Knicks are badly missing Robinson
In Robinson’s absence, Jericho Sims was the main primary backup center before Precious Achiuwa made his return. His absence was perhaps felt the most in Wednesday’s loss to the Hawks, as the Knicks allowed Atlanta to grab 22 offensive rebounds while New York secured just 12.
The Knicks missed him badly in last season’s playoffs, as Robinson going down was the start of a domino effect of injuries to the team’s roster. He also missed 51 regular season games last year with an ankle injury and averaged 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in the 31 games he played in.
If Robinson is out for longer than anticipated, the Knicks could go through the market for a backup center that is more durable. Nick Richards of the Charlotte Hornets and Drew Eubanks of the Utah Jazz are some of the cheap trade options that could become available. Until then, the Knicks will have to just continue on without him.
