New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has been a driving force behind their success this postseason. With him being fully healthy now after missing most of the regular season recovering from offseason ankle surgery, Robinson has been arguably their second-most impactful player this postseason behind Jalen Brunson.
Mitchell Robinson has been outstanding for the Knicks this postseason
Robinson was a +46 in the second round series against the Boston Celtics, and he is a +7 in the first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. His tenacity on the boards and pure dominance in the paint have caused his minutes to increase drastically.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau gave him the start in Game 3 as the Knicks fell into a 2-0 series hole. The lineup change proved to help make an impact as the Knicks staged a huge comeback to steal Game 3 on the road and get themselves back in the series.
Robinson got a ton of praise from fellow defensive stalwart OG Anunoby. The forward described his intensity as “one-of-one” and was appreciative of the impact he brings on the court.
“What Mitch does is special,” Anunoby said via SNY. “I don’t think there’s anyone in the league that can do what he does. Good feet, quick hands, anticipation, all at the perimeter at seven feet is one-of-one. It’s unreal to watch. He’s an amazing defender.”
Robinson has made a huge difference for the Knicks
Those are very meaningful words from Anunoby, whose game revolves around being an exceptional perimeter defender. With Anunoby and Mikal Bridges protecting the perimeter and Robinson defending the paint, the Knicks are a tough bunch to score buckets on.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns’ defensive misfortunes have made it tough for them to be a full-on juggernaut on the defensive side, but having Robinson to anchor the paint is a significant addition to the team. His presence has made a tremendous difference for a Knicks team that has battled its way to get to this point.
Robinson will look to continue giving them that same impact on Tuesday when the Knicks will try to even up the series against the Pacers.
!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“has-featured-video”,”true”)})}();