New York Knicks: Complete 2018 offseason grades

Drafting Mitchell Robinson

In the second round of the draft, the Knicks had options with the 36th pick. After last year, when both of their picks were controversial, this year saw them take the exact opposite road. The Knicks selected 6’11” big man Mitchell Robinson, who was regarded as a second round sleeper.

Robinson was a top-10 prospect and Western Kentucky commit coming out of high school in 2017, but never suited up for the Hilltoppers. He is athletic, has a 7’4″ wingspan and a 9’3″ standing reach. He never suited up in college and opted to train for the draft last year, so his sample size is small, but the footage is very impressive.

While the Knicks have a logjam at center with Enes Kanter and Joakim Noah, Robinson provides something they are sorely lacking: rim protection and defense. Robinson was an elite shot-blocker at the junior level and his defensive skills were good as well. He is a plus rebounder who plays with a ton of energy, but struggles with fouls. He is a project, however, and looks to be a year away before making a strong impact in the NBA. Still, this pick is a very good one for the Knicks.

While he finishes well at the rim due to his athletic abilities, his offensive game ends there. There will be an adjustment to the NBA for Robinson, especially coming from high school, but if he can learn and improve, the Knicks will have themselves one of the steals from this draft. His potential is endless and he showed in Summer League that he can be a presence on both the offensive and defensive ends, averaging 13.0 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game.

Grade: B+