New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is on the verge of returning from ankle surgery he had in December after being upgraded to questionable on the team's injury report ahead of Wednesday night's game against the Toronto Raptors.
🚨 Mitchell Robinson has been upgraded to QUESTIONABLE for tonight's game vs. the Raptors, the Knicks have announced.
Robinson has been out of action since December 8 after undergoing surgery on his left ankle. pic.twitter.com/YLOepZBzSf
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 27, 2024
Robinson, who has been out since December 8 due to left ankle surgery, was originally said to be out for the remainder of the 2023-24 season when his injury occurred. However, Robinson has remained proactive in order to try and return this season.
Now, the Knicks will be getting one of the best rebounders in the league back right ahead of what they hope to be a deep postseason run, as Wojnarowski reports that Robinson is expected to play on Wednesday night against Toronto.
Prior to suffering his ankle injury, Robinson had averaged 6.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 21 total games. His 5.3 offensive rebounds per game average would lead the league right now.
As a team, the Knicks currently rank fifth in total rebounds and second in offensive rebounding. With Robinson back in the fold, the Knicks will only be a stronger team on the interior, setting them up for success as the regular season comes to an end.
Impact of Mitchell Robinson's return
With Robinson out of the lineup due to his ankle injury, Isaiah Hartenstein has stepped up for the Knicks in a huge way. Hartenstein has played in 65 games this season, averaging 7.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting 63.2 percent from the floor. The 25-year-old big man has held things down in the Knicks' frontcourt with Robinson out.
Now that Robinson is on the verge of returning, the Knicks will suddenly be a much deeper team, and they will have options on how they want to build their rotations. Since he has been gone for just under four months, Robinson will be eased back into action. It would not come as a shock to see the Knicks stick with their main rotation that has led them to one of the better records in the Eastern Conference, resulting in Robinson coming off the bench once he does in fact return to action.
The Knicks are currently 43-28 this season, one full game ahead of the Orlando Magic for the 4-seed in the East and just a half-game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 3-seed in the conference. Whereas the Knicks own the season tiebreaker over the Cavs, the Magic own a 3-1 head-to-head advantage over New York this season. Tiebreakers will play a factor in what the Eastern Conference playoff picture looks like.
In order to make a deep postseason run like they are hoping for, the Knicks are going to have to rely on their depth and size. Hartenstein, who has been very serviceable and impactful at the center position, has led the frontcourt with Precious Achiuwa, who has also stepped up in a big way in recent weeks. Both Hartenstein and Achiuwa have been active on the glass, as has Josh Hart, who is one of the best non-frontcourt rebounders in the entire league.
Although it is unknown what head coach Tom Thibodeau will do with his rotations in terms of splitting up minutes, Robinson will supply the Knicks with yet another reliable presence in the paint on either side of the court. You can never have too many players creating second-chance scoring opportunities, and this is exactly what Robinson brings to the table come time for the playoffs.
Currently listed as questionable for Wednesday night's game against the Raptors, Robinson is expected to play after seeing his status upgraded. The team will provide a formal announcement on his status later in the day.
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