On a roster filled with former lottery picks, no Knicks player has demonstrated more potential this season than the team’s most recent second-round selection, Mitchell Robinson.
But in this miserable season, no progress comes without pain.
Leaving for the All-Star break on the best stretch of his rookie season — averaging 11.5 points, on 72.5 percent shooting from the field, with 8.5 rebounds and three blocks in just 22 minutes over a six-game span — the 20-year-old center returned with one of his worst performances of the season. In Friday’s loss to the Timberwolves, Robinson played 13 minutes, his fewest since Jan. 28. He missed his only two shots, going scoreless for the first time since Nov. 25. He had two rebounds, his fewest since Jan. 28. He had four fouls, his most since Jan. 23.
David Fizdale felt little choice but to bench the franchise’s potential future defensive anchor in favor of 30-year-old impending free agent DeAndre Jordan, voicing rare disappointment with the young center he has so often praised.
David Fizdale and Mitchell RobinsonCorey Sipkin“Sometimes it depends on how the young guys are messing up. If their mistakes are mistakes, I gotta show more discipline … then the vets are gonna play more in that situation,” Fizdale said Friday. “Just from a focus standpoint and really being locked in, this wasn’t one of his better games.”
No matter how quickly Robinson appears to grow, speed bumps seem inevitable, given his unorthodox route to the league. With his decision to bypass college to strictly train for the draft, the five-star McDonald’s All-American went a full year without playing competitive basketball.
Robinson was raw, but the 7-footer’s length and athleticism kept him from starting his pro career in the G-League. His gifts were evident, as was his inexperience, with Robinson averaging 4.2 points, three rebounds and 0.7 blocks in his first six games.
Robinson showcased his ability early with a 13-point, 10-rebound performance in a win over the Mavericks on Nov. 2, but scoreless outings came more frequently, as did evenings when he racked up far more fouls than blocks or rebounds. Then came groin and ankle injuries, sidelining him for 13 games.
When Robinson returned, he began to look like a steal with the 36th overall pick, growing into one of the league’s best shot blockers. Entering February with five double-digit scoring efforts, Robinson began a five-game streak with double-digit points, beginning with his second career double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds), and ending with another (14 points, 13 rebounds) against the 76ers, which earned the rookie an endorsement from All-Star center Joel Embiid.
“Obviously he can move really well,” Embiid said. “He has a lot of potential. He needs to work on his body, but he’s got a chance to be a good big man in this league. … A couple times I thought I had a shot, but he just came up with his long-ass arms and blocked it.”
In a season with so little to celebrate, Fizdale became increasingly excited about Robinson’s future.
“For a young rook to go out there and take the challenge against [Embiid] and put up a real fight on both ends of the floor, I think that’s gonna be great for his confidence,” Fizdale said. “Every game he just keeps getting a little bit better and a little bit better. I’m scared to see what he’s gonna be in three years.”
And curious to see how he’ll finish this year.
