The New York Knicks are rolling right now, having won five consecutive games, improving to 15-13 on the season, and moving up to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Nearly every Knick is playing at the top of their game, and center Mitchell Robinson is one of them.
During the winning streak, Robinson is having a stellar campaign both on the glass and on the defensive end, averaging:
- 7.8 PPG
- 10.6 RPG (5.8 ORPG)
- 0.8 SPG
- 1.6 BPG
- 69.2 FG%
- 75 FT%
- +4
While this stat line is not as eye-popping as Joel Embiid’s Player of The Week performance last week, the stat sheet displays a truly positive impact on both ends of the floor from Robinson.
On the season, Robinson has a plus/minus of +1.8, which is the first time in his career he has a positive plus/minus for a season, showing that this recent hot stretch is not a flash in the pan.
All of this comes at a time where it seems like everything is finally starting to click for the Knicks as a whole.
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Rebounding and screens have been the catalysts in Mitchell Robinson’s recent performance on the offensive side:
Robinson’s key component of his game is rebounding, but he’s been especially dominant at offensive rebounding, as his 5.8 offensive boards over his last five games leads the NBA by nearly an entire rebound.
Robinson’s offensive rebounding prowess has helped keep critical possessions alive for the Knicks and has also given them a plethora of second-chance opportunities that New York takes advantage of.
Robinson has also improved significantly in the pick-and-roll department, setting much tougher screens that are more difficult for defenders to evade.
This has lead to several highlight alley-oop dunks and has also allowed ball handlers to create space and make proper decisions with the ball.
Mitchell Robinson helps create offense with great defense
Robinson has been exceptional on the defensive side of the ball as well. Using his long 7’4” wingspan mixed with his 7’0” height advantage, Robinson has been able to protect the rim beautifully, making emphatic rejections on opposing shots that have also lead to fastbreak opportunities for the Knicks.
Robinson’s 1.6 BPG ranks 13th in the NBA over the last five games played. He is continuing to fill his resume and establish himself as one of the best rim protectors in the NBA.
Robinson stated to reporters what his adjustments were when he recorded a key block on Nikola Vucevic late in Wednesday’s overtime victory against the Chicago Bulls.
“He kept getting under my arm and I had to really sit down and beat him to the spot,” Robinson stated. “So that was really the main adjustment, just beat him to the spot. Just learning his moves.”
Mitchell Robinson via New York Post
Robinson continues to improve with each passing game and has made significant leaps towards becoming a truly dominant force down low.
Robinson will look to continue his stretch of interior dominance when the Knicks take on the Bulls again in a Friday night showdown.
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