Oft-injured Knicks reserve center Mitchell Robinson is on track to return to the hardwood in January, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
The seven-footer is still recuperating from a pair of ankle procedures he has undergone in the past year. He had a December ankle surgery, then incurred another foot/ankle ailment during the playoffs that required surgery in May. According to Charania, the Knicks plan to have Karl-Anthony Towns and Jericho Sims play the majority of the minutes at center while Robinson is unavailable.
Robinson, 26, suited up for just 31 contests last year, averaging 5.6 points per game on 57.5% from the field and 40.9% shooting from the foul line. He also registered averages of 8.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per night.
There’s more out of New York:
- New Knicks backup point guard Cameron Payne, whose Sixers were vanquished in a chippy first round series by New York last spring, is acclimating to his new environs, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. As Bondy notes, Payne and Jalen Brunson had a brief run-in in Game 5 of that series after Payne committed a hard foul on the Knicks star. “First thing I did was talk to JB when I got here,” Payne said, “and he’s like, ‘It’s all love.’ So it’s all love.”
- The Knicks’ defensive ferocity was already well on display during the club’s Wednesday win over the Wizards, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “I think we’re just learning each other some more,” new All-Defensive Team addition Mikal Bridges said. “Defensively, I think we can be really good. Just need time and being around each other more, and having practices and playing these preseason games is gonna help a lot.”
- Brunson believes he should have earned a spot on the 2024 Paris Olympics men’s basketball team this summer, per Sam Schube of GQ. The 6’2″ All-Star broke his hand during New York’s Game 7 semifinal defeat to the Pacers and would have been unable to play as he recuperated, but he noted that he didn’t make the cut even before that happened. “The team was chosen before I broke my hand,” Brunson said. “The way I played last year, I thought I was deserving. I thought I could have fit in. I’ve played many roles throughout my career; I could play another. But obviously, it just wasn’t in the cards at that time.”