NBA
Knicks Star Named Team’s Biggest Controversy
The New York Knicks had quite a busy offseason, swinging blockbuster trades for both Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns and surging up power rankings lists as a result.
But while the Knicks now have a star-studded roster, their moves have definitely muddied the roles of other players, such as big man Mitchell Robinson.
With Towns now in the fold, Robinson’s status with the team is somewhat in flux, which is why Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale has named the center New York’s “biggest controversy” of the season.
“Is he officially one of the two or three best backup centers in the league? Someone they envision spending real time in jumbo-sized lineups alongside Towns?” Favale wrote. “Or is he the vehicle through which they plan to deepen the rotation via trade, focusing instead on some combination of reserve playmaking, shooting, properly sized wings and, yeah, maybe another big?”
The fact that Robinson will be sidelined until at least January after undergoing foot surgery only further complicates matters for the Knicks.
When healthy, the 26-year-old is one of the best defensive bigs in the business, but that’s the issue: Robinson is rarely healthy.
The former second-round pick has played in 70 games just once during his first six NBA campaigns, and over the last four years, he has appeared in under 60 contests three times.
Last season, Robinson participated in just 31 games, averaging 5.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks over 24.8 minutes a night while shooting 57.5 percent from the floor.
Robinson’s name has been tossed around in trade rumors quite a bit lately, and it was even reported that he was included in an initial offer or Towns back around the time of the draft.
We’ll see what the Knicks decide to do with Robinson this season and whether or not he will actually be on the roster come February.