Knicks Coach Gives Positive Mitchell Robinson Update

ORLANDO, Fla. — New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has still yet to make his debut this season for the team, but he is inching closer to a return.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau gave an update in regards to Robinson’s recovery from ankle surgery in the offseason ahead of the team’s game against the Orlando Magic on Friday.

“Overall, he’s doing very well,” Thibodeau said. “Still hasn’t been cleared for practice, and that’ll be the next step, and so he’s getting closer to that. But when, when that is, I’m not quite sure. There’s still some benchmarks that he has to get through, but he’s done a terrific job. He’s light, he’s lean, he’s worked extremely hard, so we just want to make sure we’re patient and let him work his way through it.”

Thibodeau also added that Robinson has begun to run but isn’t sprinting, which would be another level for his recovery process.

The Knicks have been in need of a backup center since the offseason, and they are counting on Robinson to be that for them in the stretch run of the campaign so that he can be ready for a potential deep playoff run.

The Knicks don’t have much size outside of Karl-Anthony Towns on the roster, so having another center in Robinson could help the team with rebounding and defense, two areas in which the team could look to improve in.

This is Robinson’s second surgery on the ankle, so the Knicks want to ensure that he will be healthy for the long haul, which is why they aren’t looking to rush his return.

That being said, the Knicks probably want to get a good look of him for a few games before the Feb. 6 trade deadline in case they need to come up with a backup plan.

It’s a balancing act, but the Knicks are doing their best to juggle.

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