With both Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson missing Wednesday’s season opener for the Knicks, center Mitchell Robinson was thrust right back into action in his first game back since late March.
Robinson played one preseason game since coming back from foot surgery, but on Wednesday, he showed the Knicks what they’ve been missing.
Robinson didn’t miss a beat for New York, posting a double-double that included 17 rebounds, five of them on the offensive glass, helping the Knicks to a thrilling double overtime win over the Celtics.
In the eyes of his head coach, Robinson’s reintroduction is just the beginning.
“We’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg with Mitch,” Tom Thibodeau said after the game. “Mitch is gonna be really good for us.”
Robinson played nearly 35 minutes on Wednesday, and as he has his entire career, was nearly automatic from the floor, sinking all five of his field goal attempts. He finished with 11 points and had two blocks on the night, and perhaps most importantly, committed just two fouls to give himself a chance to remain on the floor, a vast improvement from previous years.
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“I thought Mitch had some really good plays,” Thibodeau said. “He’s still working his way through it. I knew the intensity level of a game is far different than a preseason game. We gotta let him work through that.”
Health will be the biggest question for Robinson, who played in just 31 games last year. But Robinson wasted no time in showing the Knicks the kind of impact he can have on the floor, and what they were missing in last year’s playoff exit.
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