Defensive Player of the Year: Mitchell Robinson
Kevin Knox garnered a lot of attention at the 2018 NBA Draft for the Knicks, and rightfully so. However, he was not the only steal that New York looks to have gotten. With the 36th overall pick in the draft, the Knicks snagged Mitchell Robinson.
Robinson did not play collegiately in 2017-18. He decided to skip college to focus on his future. That course of action probably played a part in Robinson slipping to the second round, as he did not participate in the NBA Draft Combine either. While Robinson’s stock fell, the Knicks came away as big winners.
Despite the long layoff, Robinson was excellent in Las Vegas. He provided energy throughout, showcasing his elite athleticism around the rim and great rebounding ability. In Summer League, he averaged 13 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. He provided multiple highlight dunks and blocked plenty of shots in his five games.
Robinson is far from a finished product. His offense was limited to rim-running dunks and put-backs. He also committed too many fouls, but the potential is there for him to be a difference-maker on both ends of the court.
On a team lacking many defensive-minded players, Robinson could play his way into the lineup based on his presence on that end of the court. It is a long shot, but if he puts up gaudy rebounding and blocked shot numbers, he could garner some DPOY votes.
Only one player has won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in Knicks franchise history. That was Tyson Chandler during the 2011-12 season.