In the midst of a rocky, disappointing and losing season, Knicks fans have been able to cling onto some bright spots. As of late, one of them is Mitchell Robinson, the fourth-year center playing some of the best two-way basketball of his career.
Every time Robinson appeared to be blossoming, something — whether it be injury, foul trouble or otherwise — stymied his ascension. However, this year we’ve seen the longest and most impressive stretch of his young career.
What does this mean for Mitch and the Knicks, in anticipation of his impending free agency this summer?
Robinson’s first two seasons were extremely promising, despite his weaknesses. It was clear New York found a second-round steal, though foul trouble plagued Robinson and he fell short of 70 games played in both years.
Last season, we saw signs of serious growth. His blocked shots plummeted, but watching Robinson, this was due to the natural progression from highlight-chasing to sound interior positioning. We didn’t see this fully play out as he succumbed to more health issues, playing in only four of the team’s final 50 games.
There was moderate hype coming into this year that we’d finally see a fully formed Robinson, especially with him boasting about a major offseason weight and muscle gain. This also didn’t go according to plan, as he struggled with his mobility and stamina early on.
As this season progressed, we’ve seen him trim down and regain much of his athleticism. With that, we’ve seen some of the best stretches of his career.
In 2021-22, Robinson is putting up career highs in field goal percentage (78.9%!) and rebounding rate across the board. His 2.3 blocks per-36 minutes isn’t what it used to be, but this is once again due to his maturation as a rim protector. He’s allowing just 55.6% shooting at the rim, right on line with DeAndre Ayton and just slightly worse than Myles Turner and Robert Williams III.
Since the calendar turn, it’s arguable he’s been one of the Knicks most reliable players. Offensively, he’s finished so well and been such an impact on the offensive glass, he’s up to 10.9 points per game on 83.1% shooting in the new year compared to 7.5 and 76.5% in 2021.
In one early-January run, Robinson strung together six double-digit scoring nights in seven games, a rarity for him.
These were nothing to scoff at either, double-doubles in big wins against the Spurs, Mavericks and Hawks. This week’s matchup against the Grizzlies was perhaps Robinson’s pièce de résistance, an eight-block mauling on Ja Morant and his stacked Memphis frontcourt.
The most assuring part of all this is Robinson’s availability. He’s only missed five games thus far, though seems to need a back-and-forth trip to the locker room every so often after an ankle twist.
Having Robinson re-emerge as a top Knicks prospect is exciting for fans, but puts some added pressure on the front office. He’s an unrestricted free agent this summer, meaning if New York doesn’t plan on signing him to an extension, they should be looking at trade avenues.
From what’s been reported and gleaned from social media, both parties want Robinson to stay. The question is what will the cost be to the Knicks.
We can compare Robinson’s potential extension to that of other young, promising centers who recently signed their own. Williams signed a four-year, $48 million deal with Boston, and Wendell Carter Jr. got $50 million for the same length of time. This seems about right for Robinson.
In what’s been an up-and-down year to say the least, having Robinson on the upswing is one thing fans can’t complain about. If this is what the Knicks can expect from their developing center for years to come, they’ll be happy.
