Craig Robinson: Hired by the New York Knicks for his connections or capability?

Craig Robinson, brother-in-law of Barack Obama, is the newest New York Knicks front office executive. Was he hired because of who he knew or for his basketball mind?

The New York Knicks continue their front-office overhaul by hiring Craig Robinson away from the Milwaukee Bucks. Since 2016 Robinson served as the Bucks vice president of player and organization development. The hiring was first reported on Monday by Shams Charania of The Vertical.

Craig Robinson is also known for being a brother-in-law to Barack Obama and the brother of Michelle Obama. Robinson is the former coach of Oregon State and was for most of the Obama presidency (2008-14).

Ian Begley of ESPN reports Robinson will work in player development for the Knicks as they begin their youth movement. As a former college coach with NBA executive experience, Robinson fits the chemistry of the Knicks front office. Knicks president Steve Mills and Craig Robinson were teammates at Princeton.

However, when Robinson was at Oregon State, his record was poor and he never made the NCAA Tournament. In the same way, one season as an executive with the Bucks doesn’t prove his case as a talent developer. Was Robinson hired because of his connection to Barack Obama? Probably not. Yet, his past with Steve Mills played a large part in his hiring.

Robinson the coach

For any college coach, developing players is a major key to winning games. If a coach can’t develop his players he won’t be a college coach for long. Craig Robinson’s 94-105 record while at Oregon State does little to bolster his case for player development.

Obviously, Oregon State isn’t known as a basketball powerhouse. At the same time, Robinson did very little to move their program forward. In fact, the Beavers made the NCAA Tournament two seasons after Robinson was fired.

Yet, Oregon State produced only one NBA player during his tenure. Eric Moreland went undrafted in 2014 and played sparingly the last two seasons for the Sacramento Kings.

Robinson the executive

Craig Robinson is highly educated and well-regarded in NBA circles as a man with high character. When the Milwaukee Bucks hired him as vice president of player and organization development, they were the youngest team in the NBA. His exact role was explained in the press release upon his hiring:

"“Robinson will oversee the development and implementation of programs that support the professional and personal growth of players through education, mentorship, business and community efforts that align with the mission and goals of the Bucks organization.”"

One word not mentioned in the outline of Robinson’s role is the word “basketball.” In other words, Robinson worked with players regarding off-court matters.

His Princeton education and experience in the financial world are no doubt critical for such a position. Likewise, Craig Robinson the basketball coach could understand basketball players and their needs.

For the New York Knicks, building character in all areas of Madison Square Garden is a huge job.

Craig Robinson’s role wasn’t publicly defined Monday, but molding young players into professional men should be high on the list as Steve Mills and Scott Perry continue to build a front office centered on developing youth.

Connections or capability?

Was Craig Robinson hired by the New York Knicks for his connections or his capability? Certainly, Robinson is capable to teach and guide young players into their future. His connections to Barack Obama and Steve Mills surely didn’t hurt his case. Yet, the answer to this question is that it doesn’t really matter.

The role that Robinson will play for the New York Knicks will likely have little to do with basketball strategy. His knowledge of such strategy will help but only as icing on the Knickerbocker cake. The substance of Robinson’s role will probably be similar to what he did with the Bucks.

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Similarly, professionalism and personal growth are attributes Madison Square Garden could use at the highest levels. The New York Knicks’ reasons for hiring Craig Robinson matter very little. What does matter, however, is the future of a suddenly youthful roster.

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