New York Knicks 2018-19 midseason award winners

Defensive Player of the Year

The Knicks have not been good defensively this season. According to Basketball-Reference, they are 29th in defensive rating. However, there is one player that has stood out for his performance defensively thus far this season and that is Mitchell Robinson.

Robinson was the Knicks’ second-round pick, going No. 36 overall. Robinson is a very raw prospect, as he did not play collegiately last season. After declaring to play at Western Kentucky, he never actually made it there. Instead, he focused on preparing for the NBA Draft.

The preparation did not go as planned, as he fell into the second round. New York reaped the benefits of that, as they landed a potential difference maker that already is elite in one area of the game; shot blocking.

Robinson is a monster protecting the rim. During Summer League play, he averaged 4.0 blocks per game. That performance has carried over to the regular season, as he is averaging 1.8 blocks per game despite playing only 17.2 minutes.

Robinson has appeared in only 28 games as he deals with an ankle injury. Had he qualified, Robinson would lead the NBA in block percentage at 9 percent. That is great value for a second round pick and the organization hopes there’s more to come in the second half once he is healthy.