New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is getting closer to coming back and it could happen as soon as Wednesday, March 27, in Toronto against the Raptors.
The Knicks have changed Robinson's status to questionable in the NBA’s most recent injury report (11:30 a.m. ET).
Robinson has been out of action since December 8 in Boston when he had surgery for a left ankle injury. He missed the last 50 games while the Knicks went 31-19, with Isaiah Hartenstein doing a great job as his replacement.
It's been a week now since Robinson rejoined the Knicks’ full practice.
Robinson is expected to come off the bench and have limited playing time when he’s given the green light to return.
Mitchell Robinson is open to coming off the bench.
Robinson is fine with coming off the bench when he makes his comeback.
“[I’d] rather come off the bench. Maybe I can show more,” Robinson replied to an Instagram post from a Knicks fan page (@knicks_movement) featuring him as starting center alongside Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, Donte DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson.
Robinson and the Knicks acknowledge that he will need time to improve his game conditioning.
“When a guy comes back off an extended injury or time where he’s been out, I think it takes a little bit of time to get that timing back,” Thibodeau said, per The Athletic on March 22. “It probably makes more sense with shorter minutes to (bring him off the bench). We’ll see how it unfolds.”
Robinson hasn't come off the bench since a November 20, 2022, loss to the Phoenix Suns when he returned from a right knee sprain last season. He scored two points on 1 of 2 shooting, grabbed four rebounds, made two blocks, and one steal in 17 minutes off the bench.
Although his off-the-bench role only lasted for one game last season, it could be longer this time to improve his game conditioning with little more than two weeks left in the regular-season schedule.
In 21 games before the injury, Robinson averaged a career-high 10.3 rebounds along with 6.2 points on 59% shooting, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks. He’s leading the league in offensive rebounding with 5.3 per game.
Hartenstein will continue to start after flourishing without Robinson as he averaged 9.9 rebounds, 8.2 points, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks in his absence.
Mitchell Robinson is eager to team up with OG Anunoby
Robinson led the Knicks’ defense during their last two playoff runs, serving as one of the league’s best rim protectors and top rebounders. For the first time in his six-year career, he will have one of the elite wing defenders, if not the most elite, to help him tighten the Knicks’ defense.
“He’s active. He’s not afraid to take a chance,” Robinson said of Anunoby, per the New York Post on March 21. “He might miss one here or there but that’s alright. He’ll get most of them. I can make up for it when he doesn’t get it.”
But that has to wait until both he and Anunoby are cleared to return.
Anunoby, who led the league in steals during the 2022-23 season and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, will miss his fifth straight game after experiencing inflammation on his surgically repaired right elbow.
