The Knicks are going to find out, again, what life is like without Mitchell Robinson, their defensive anchor.
The standout center will miss the next 8-to-10 weeks after undergoing surgery on his injured left ankle, the team announced on Monday.
Robinson suffered the injury in Friday’s loss to the Celtics.
“Been battling stuff my whole life; some days I feel like I take 10 steps ahead, and others feel like I took 20 steps back; even when I do what I’m supposed to god throws these battles at me that feel like they’re unbeatable no matter what I do,” Robinson wrote on Snapchat.
“I know I shouldn’t be letting this stuff get to my mental but over time it just takes over.”
It is a major blow to coach Tom Thibodeau’s team.
Robinson, 25, is the key to the Knicks’ defense and one of the premier offensive rebounders in the league.
The only saving grace is the Knicks are deep at his position, with Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims able to fill in. Neither, however, is Robinson.
The 7-footer is averaging 6.2 points, a career-high 10.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 29.2 minutes per game.
Injuries have been an issue throughout Robinson’s career. He appeared in only 59 games last season and has never played in more than 72.
His value, however, cannot be questioned.
The Knicks have outscored the opposition by 2.9 points per 100 possessions when Robinson is on the floor and his 5.3 offensive rebounds per game leads the NBA. He’s also tied for 12th in the entire league in overall rebounds per game.
While Hartenstein is in the rotation and Sims was not until now, it’s not a given that Hartenstein will start in Robinson’s place. Last year, Thiobdeau started Sims when Robinson was out because he wanted to keep the second unit together.
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