5 players that should be part of New York Knicks long-term core

4. Mitchell Robinson

There were 35 players drafted ahead of Mitchell Robinson in 2018, but there’s only a handful of players the New York Knicks will want to keep on their roster more than the 7-footer.

Robinson skipped college to train for the NBA Draft. Seeing his success thus far, it’s fair to say that decision worked in his favor. He’s fifth among all qualified NBA players in Player Efficiency Rating this year, according to Hollinger’s NBA Player Statistics on ESPN.

Robinson is a textbook example of what a rim-running center is — a tall, athletic player that scores off dunks while defending the rim at a high level. His defensive presence is highlighted by his blocked shots. Last season, he ranked second in the league with 2.4 blocks per game and fourth with 161 total blocks despite playing only 20.6 minutes per game.

Still, his inexperience is evident on the defensive end. He often bites on pump fakes, causing him to pick up unnecessary fouls. Last season, he averaged 3.3 fouls per game and this season he’s averaging 3.4 fouls per game, which forces coaches to sit him for more than half the game.

Robinson’s 18.4 minutes per game is a result of his inexperience defending high-level talent at the rim — something that may have been improved upon at college.

Regardless, Robinson’s length (7-foot-4 wingspan), ability to block shots and his league-leading 71.9 percent field-goal percentage is surely enough to warrant him significant minutes.

Over the course of his career, Robinson will develop into a patient shot blocker that can impact the game for more than just 20 minutes.