The New York Knicks will be forced to try and continue climbing up the Eastern Conference standings without their defensive anchor.
After Mitchell Robinson left his team's loss to the Washington Wizards early with a thumb injury, the Knicks announced on Thursday that he underwent surgery to repair a fractured right thumb and will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
Robinson exited New York's 116-105 defeat to the Wizards on Wednesday late in the first quarter and did not return, finishing with zero points, two blocks, two steals and four missed free throws in minutes of play. The Knicks subsequently ruled him out for the game's remainder with a sprained thumb.
Mitchell Robinson has been integral to New York's success in 2022-23, leading the team with a +10.5 on-off net rating, per Cleaning the Glass. The fifth-year center is averaging 7.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, pedestrian numbers that fail to accurately convey his impact as a rim-protector, rebounder and interior finisher.
Expect Isaiah Hartenstein to start for the Knicks in Robinson's absence, hoping to tap into the underrated two-way effectiveness that made him one of basketball's best backup bigs last season with the LA Clippers. Sophomore jumping jack Jericho Sims will no doubt see more court time with Robinson sidelined as well, while coach Tom Thibodeau could also be coaxed into giving longer looks to non-center lineups featuring Julius Randle and Obi Toppin up front.
New York is 7-3 in its last 10 games, tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference with the Miami Heat at 25-21.
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