ATLANTA — The Knicks treaded water with Mitchell Robinson sidelined for eight games in November, but they now will be without their starting center and defensive anchor for an even more extended period of time.
Robinson underwent surgery Thursday at the Hospital for Special Surgery after tests revealed he suffered a fractured right thumb in Wednesday’s home loss to the Wizards. The 7-foot center will be reevaluated in three weeks, the team said, but he likely will be out for much longer, beginning with Friday’s road game against the Hawks.
The Knicks went 4-4 in the eight games Robinson missed with a sprained knee from Nov. 5-18, with backup center Isaiah Hartenstein starting six times in that stretch and second-year big man Jericho Sims starting the other two games. Hartenstein received one additional start in the game Robinson came back to the rotation to play 17 minutes off the bench on Nov. 20 in a road loss to the Suns.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) during a game against the Wizards on Jan. 18, 2023.NBAE via Getty ImagesThat duo likely will split time in Robinson’s absence, and Tom Thibodeau said Julius Randle also can play some minutes at center, with the coach employing a smaller lineup late in Wednesday’s loss.
“It’s just the next guy. I love the depth that we have at center,” Thibodeau said after the game. “We have three guys that are more than capable.”
Robinson, who signed a four-year contract extension worth $60 million last summer, then made 28 consecutive starts, averaging 7.9 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots in 29.4 minutes per game. He also boasts the best net rating among Knicks regulars – with the team outscoring opponents by 8.2 points per 100 possessions when he is on the court, while getting outscored by opposing teams by 1.1 points per 100 possessions when he is off the court.
“It’s a big impact,” point guard Jalen Brunson said Wednesday night. “Mitch is a presence down in the paint. Obviously, we want him to have a speedy, but healthy, recovery. But we want him at 100 percent.”
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) during a game against the Wizards on Jan. 13, 2023.Getty ImagesThe 24-year-old Robinson departed Wednesday’s game in the first quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
“Mitch is really the anchor for our defense. Him going out, it’s an adjustment, for sure,” RJ Barrett said. “With everything, the rebounds, blocked shots, also just the factor people don’t want to go in the paint as much against him. You [miss] him big-time, all the offensive rebounds he gets. He’s a big part of our team.”
And the former second-round pick will be difficult for the Knicks (25-21) to replace if he’s out on a long-term basis, regardless of how Thibodeau reconfigures his starters and second-unit frontcourt in the interim.
Robinson, who also missed time with a fractured right hand during the 2020-21 season, ranks second in the NBA with 4.3 offensive rebounds per game, behind only Grizzlies center Steven Adams (5.0), and fifth in blocked shots with an average of 1.8 per game.
“You miss who he is,” Thibodeau said. “I want to think and see more, think it through in terms of what’s best for both groups, what will make it function best. Both guys have gone back and forth. We’ll get a chance to look at it deeper and make a decision.”
Depending on Robinson’s prognosis, the Knicks certainly could be in the market now for more help up front ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline. One possible target could involve an attempt to reacquire longtime Thibodeau favorite Taj Gibson, who is earning $2.9 million this season with the Wizards. The 14-year veteran – who also played for Thibodeau in Chicago and Minnesota – logged nine minutes for Washington off the bench in Wednesday’s game at the Garden.
