The New York Knicks got major updates regarding some of the injured players. SNY’s Ian Begley reported an update for center Mitchell Robinson, who is recovering from left ankle surgery he underwent in May after suffering a stress fracture during the postseason. Begley’s report was not the most encouraging, as he said that he still has some hurdles to jump over before being cleared for full basketball activities.
Mitchell Robinson is not close to being fully cleared for basketball activities
“As of earlier this week, Robinson had not yet been cleared for high-intensity weight-bearing activities during his rehab, per people familiar with the matter. So Robinson has to clear several hurdles before he gets clearance to fully participate in training camp,” Begley reported.
The Knicks will need Robinson to stay healthy this upcoming season, especially following the loss of Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. Their center depth as of now would have Robinson starting with Precious Achiuwa likely serving as the backup, which is certainly manageable but lacks some insurance in case Robinson isn’t ready at the start of the season or goes down again during it.
They still could be in the market to add another big to give them more size, but nothing serious has materialized as of now. Some names they have been linked to include Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler and Houston Rockets big man Alperen Sengun.
Robinson is a massive piece to the Knicks when healthy
When healthy, Robinson has proven to be one of the game’s most intimidating forces underneath the basket. Prior to his first ankle injury he suffered last December that caused him to miss over three months, the 26-year-old was averaging 6.2 points, 10.3 rebounds (including a league-leading 5.3 offensive rebounds), 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. He was on an All-Defense trajectory before injuries derailed yet another season.
With still about a month before training camp, now is not the time to overthink Robinson’s progression just yet. However, the Knicks would love to get him back on the court as soon as possible so he can be in game shape by the time the regular season begins.