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Mitchell Robinson was originally selected 36th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks and has been with the team for six seasons. His consistent inclusion in the rotation is due to the size that he provides at the rim, a crucial aspect that provides an edge over an opponent, especially in the postseason.
Upon arrival in this year's NBA Playoffs, the Knicks are the second seed (50-32 record) in the Eastern Conference as they were led by the scoring efforts of Jalen Brunson and the imposing defensive identity of the team.
Additionally, Mitchell Robinson has contributed some quality production at the center spot. He posted 8 points (3-of-5 shooting), 12 rebounds and 4 blocks in Saturday's 111-104 win against the seventh-seed (47-35 record) Philadelphia 76ers.
Mitchell Robinson's season stats
This season, Mitchell Robinson has only managed to play in 31 games due to an ankle injury that sidelined him for 51 contests. In the matchups that he was available to suit up on the NBA court, he posted the lowest production numbers of his career.
Mitchell Robinson's playoff stats
However, Robinson's postseason performance for 2023-24 has outdone his stats from last year's NBA Playoffs. The rebounding effort remains excellent, including the number of blocks he averaged.
Strengths and weaknesses
Listed at seven-foot-zero, Mitchell Robinson has thrived in the Knicks' rotation as a reliable rebounding and defensive big down low. His size and rim protection have helped the team thrive at the defensive end, despite not playing many games this season.
Be that as it may, he showed his value effectively in last game's playoff matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, who have Joel Embiid running the five position for them.
However, his weaknesses are evident with his shortcomings in defending perimeter players, especially when he is forced to come out and guard these players in great space such as in the three-point line.
Additionally, his offensive abilities remain one-dimensional, without any improvements made on his post moves or even his free-throw efficiency. This has allowed teams to exploit him on these weaknesses whenever he's on the court, such as hacking him for a few free-throw attempts due to his inefficiency at the charity stripe.
Impact, role and projected playoff minutes
With the New York Knicks focusing on making a deep playoff run, especially after coming up short last year with their second-round exit, Mitchell Robinson will be looked upon for his contributions at the defensive and rebounding ends.
Despite all of the weaknesses listed, Robinson won't be asked to carry a heavy burden for the team, especially since his role has moved to being the second big man of the team, coming off the bench for starting center Isaiah Hartenstein.
During the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Robinson averaged 27.1 minutes per game and could see those numbers ramp up throughout this year's postseason run.
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