New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson to miss 10 weeks
New York Knicks starting center and defensive anchor Mitchell Robinson injured his left ankle in Friday night's loss to the Boston Celtics.
Robinson will undergo surgery and is expected to be sidelined for ten weeks while recovering from the injury. The Knicks hope to evaluate him in eight weeks and then they'll have a better idea of when he'll return to the lineup.
The Knicks are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, allowing just 109.7 points per game. Robinson was the focal point of their suffocating defense. He breaks the opponent's pick-and-roll and creates turnovers by stealing or blocking shots to achieve quick breakthroughs.
Robinson was beloved by Madison Square Garden fans for his work ethic. He is a true rim protection and rebounding machine. He would rather defend and rebound than worry about how many points he can score every night.
Robinson is averaging 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in his sixth season with the Knicks. He averaged just 6.2 points per game and mostly came up with counter-attacking shots.
Losing Robinson over the next few months would be a huge blow to the Knicks. Backup center Jericho Sims will move into the starting lineup, and versatile big man Isiah Hartenstein will get extra minutes off the bench.
Next up: Jericho Sims, Isiah Hartenstein
Hartenstein is an important part of the Knicks' second unit. He is a tenacious offensive rebounder with excellent outside touch and excellent passing skills. Before Robinson was injured, he was averaging 18 minutes per game off the bench. Hartenstein had 11 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench against the Raptors on Monday night.
Sims performed well last season while filling in for the struggling Robinson. He started 16 games and averaged 3.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, the best performance of his career.
Sims started their first game without Robinson on Monday night. He scored two points and grabbed seven rebounds in 21 minutes of action.
If Sims fails this season, the Knicks could seek help on the trade market. The Knicks saw two big men in action in last night's win over the Toronto Raptors, including center Christian Koloko and power forward Precious Achiuwa.
The Knicks' other potential trade targets include Kelly Olynyk (Utah Jazz), Wendell Carter Jr. (Orlando Magic), Daniel Gafford (Washington Wizards) and Daron Sharpe (Brooklyn Nets).
Veteran center Taj Gibson is a free agent and has not signed with a team this season. Gibson is a former Knick who has a close relationship with head coach Tom Thibideau, which is why he's on the short list of potential successors.
Before Robinson's injury, the Knicks were linked to three All-Stars in numerous trade rumors. Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns, Chicago Bulls’ forward DeMar DeRozan and Philadelphia 76ers’ center Joel Embiid have recently The trade talks have been the subject of trade negotiations for months.
Knicks enter futures market without Robinson
The Knicks currently have a record of 13 wins and 9 losses and are currently ranked third in the Atlantic Division. If the season ended today, the Knicks would be the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Last year, the Knicks locked up the fifth-place playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a 47-35 record. The Knicks defeated the fourth-ranked Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round in just five games. The eighth-ranked Miami Heat defeated the Knicks in six games to advance to the conference finals.
The Knicks have a -360 chance of making the playoffs and a +285 chance of missing the playoffs. The Knicks have a total of 45.5 wins/loss this season.
The Boston Celtics (16-5) have the best record in the Eastern Conference and are the favorite to win the Atlantic Division at -475 odds. The 76ers are the favorite in Division II at +350, ahead of the Knicks (+3500), Brooklyn Nets (+18000) and Toronto Raptors (+30000).
The Knicks have +6000 odds to win the 2023-24 NBA Championship, but they're in the middle of the pack on DraftKings' NBA Futures board.
The Knicks have a +2500 chance to win the Eastern Conference, something they haven't done since the 1999 season.
In the in-season tournament, the Knicks advanced to the elimination round with a 3-1 record. The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Knicks in the quarterfinals last Tuesday and failed to advance to the semifinals in Las Vegas.
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Source: www.casino.org
