New York Knicks: 3 reasons Mitchell Robinson was a good pick

3. Defensive prowess

New York has struggled on defense for years. Kristaps Porzingis is the only consistent rim protector the Knicks have had. Now, they look to have another one in Mitchell Robinson.

Robinson was a dominant force during NBA Summer League. His long arms and athleticism were on full display as a shot-blocker. Robinson averaged four blocks per game in Summer League, stuffing opponents at the rim and even on the perimeter. A few times, he even blocked attempted jump shots.

In addition to the blocked shots, Robinson also averaged one steal per game. His ability to play defense on the perimeter is key given the landscape of the NBA. Teams are going small, but David Fizdale has said he isn’t afraid to use bigger lineups. Robinson would enable him to use those big lineups given his comfortability on the perimeter.

His defensive rating of 100 is impressive given the lax atmosphere that surrounds Summer League more often than not.

That skill-set could provide Robinson an avenue to playing time right off the bat. He looked the part of a rim-protecting, defensive anchor despite not playing in game action for over a year. He looked like he was ready to play with the Knicks despite that long layoff.