The New York Knicks suffered a big blow on Monday, announcing their center Mitchell Robinson will be out for at least two months. With Robinson out, who will step up for the Knicks?
Despite a good start to the season and a nice run during the NBA In-Season Tournament, the New York Knicks find themselves with their first big challenge of the season. On Monday, it was announced that center Mitchell Robinson will miss at least two months due to surgery.
The injury to Robinson is a big blow for the Knicks, as he was playing very well this season and was the anchor of their defense. This season, Robinson is averaging a career-high 10.3 rebounds per game and also has been a great rim protector for the Knicks.
With Robinson out, we will see some big changes in the Knicks’ rotation, as he was playing close to 30 minutes per game this season. Since such a key player is now going to miss time, the Knicks will have to get creative with their lineups. Luckily, they do have some good depth at the center position, using their two centers already on the roster will likely be the first thing that Tom Thibodeau tries.
The first man to likely see an increased role is Isaiah Hartnestein, who has been the backup for Robinson this season. Hartenstein has played very well in his role, as he is an active big man on the glass, and has been looking to be more aggressive on offense this season. So far this season, Hartenstein has averaged 5.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
While the role will be changing, if you look at what Hartenstein’s Per 36 minute stats are, he would be averaging 10.9 points, and 11.4 rebounds, which are very solid numbers. The Knicks don’t need Hartenstein to be a big scorer in his increased role, but they will need him to continue to perform well on the glass and protect the rim.
In addition to the increased role for Hartenstein, we will also likely see Jericho Sims get in the rotation. Sims is one of the most athletic big men in the league but hasn’t played a ton yet for the Knicks.
Depending on how Sims performs, the Knicks could also use a bit more of Julius Randle at the five if the matchup suits it. However, they do lack a backup power forward for Randle, which is something that will have to be addressed.
While it isn’t ideal for the Knicks to be without Robinson for so long, they do have a really quality backup in Hartenstein. However, Robinson’s ability on the defensive end will be a hard thing to replace.
