The New York Knicks have suffered a devastating blow, as starting center Mitchell Robinson has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with an ankle injury.
Knicks Lose Defensive Anchor During Crucial Stretch of the Season
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the news earlier today via Twitter:
Robinson went down with the injury in the Knicks’ Dec. 8 matchup against the Boston Celtics. At the time of his injury, Robinson was leading the league with 5.5 offensive rebounds per game.
Additionally, the Knicks were a top-five team in defensive rating and were excelling in the paint on both ends of the floor. Robinson had elevated his play in ways that did not show up on the stat sheet and was among the best defenders at his position yet again.
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Shorthanded Knicks To Rely on Hartenstein, Gibson to Pick Up the Pieces
News of his injury comes in conjunction with backup center Jericho Sims being ruled out for the next 7-10 days with a sprained ankle.
The Knicks will now rely on Isaiah Hartenstein and Taj Gibson to man the center position in Robinson’s stead until Sims returns to action. Hartenstein garnered praise from Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau for his energetic play in recent games and has taken on a workhorse role similar to that of Robinson this season.
Gibson was signed on Dec. 13 as a direct result of Robinson going down and will see an elevated role in the rotation. As for the $7.8 million disabled player exception the Knicks are in line to receive, they can use that money to bring in another big man to help fortify the position.
