One of the biggest bright spots in an otherwise miserable 2018-19 campaign for the New York Knicks was the play of rookie big man Mitchell Robinson, who displayed signs of dominance as a rim protector and rebounder.
Knicks head coach David Fizdale appeared on ESPN's The Jump on Monday and discussed how impressive Robinson was during his rookie campaign, taking a self-deprecating shot at himself in the process:
“This kid was second in the league in blocks and his dumb coach was only playing him about 19 minutes a game,” said Fizdale. “When we get those minutes up some more, we’re looking at a potential Defensive Player of the Year.”
Robinson had some ankle issues early in the year, but he ended up playing in 66 games and making 19 starts, averaging 7.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks over 20.6 minutes per game while shooting 69.4 percent from the floor and 60 percent from the free-throw line.
The 21-year-old actually did not play a second of college basketball, but was selected by the Knicks in the second round (36th pick overall) of the 2018 NBA Draft.
Robinson was initially supposed to play NCAA basketball for Western Kentucky, but he was suspended before the 2017-18 campaign even began as a result of violating team rules.
He then opted to forego college altogether, making the decision to enter the NBA Draft.
It seems safe to say that that was a fine choice.
The Knicks won just 17 games this past season, equaling their lowest total in franchise history (which they had originally achieved in 2015).
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