With New York Knicks star forward Kristaps Porzingis towering at 7-foot-3, rookie big-man Mitchell Robinson seems obviously smaller at 7-foot-1. It’s amusing using the word “small†when describing a man that makes most look like ants.
What does Mitchell Robinson bring to the New York Knicks?
Despite the height differential, Robinson enters the league with immense talent and potential as a professional. The rookie barely played in college and was the result of a traded draft pick when the Knicks sent Carmelo Anthony and his burden of a contract over to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It seems as if that trade has paid off ten-fold, given they received the second round pick spent on Robinson and Enes Kanter in the deal.
Ahead of the 2018 NBA draft, Robinson was ranked as one of colleges most highly touted prospects, landing at No. 9 overall. He sat behind the likes of Collin Sexton and Wendell Carter, and just one spot ahead of Kevin Knox. Recently, the big-man signed a four-year contract, keeping him in New York until at lease 2022,
During the Summer League, Robinson averaged 11.3 points per game, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. He shot an astounding 68.2% from the floor in his first three games. These numbers are impressive and attest to his second-round draft placement. In fact, he seems to be showing more potential than his stock had to say about him, which only benefits the Knicks in the long run.
Ultimately, Robinsons will feature alongside Knox in the 2018-19 season, adding youth and a fresh start to an organization that has failed to put the necessary building blocks in place to achieve optimism.
Through the Knicks first three summer league contests in Las Vegas, Robinson is averaging 11.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks, while shooting a scorching 68.2% from the floor. That’s quite remarkable considering the kid hadn’t played in an organized basketball game in over 14 months. The last time he suited up for a team was during his senior year of high school. After enrolling at Western Kentucky University last summer, he dropped out and opted to train individually for the 2018 NBA draft instead.