New York Knicks: Ceiling and floor of every young player
Mitchell Robinson
Mitchell Robinson has been without a doubt the most exciting surprise the New York Knicks have had in a long time. Who knew that a second-round selection would turn out to become one of the best shot blockers in the league, not even before concluding his rookie season.
During the 2018-19 NBA season, Robinson averaged 2.4 blocks per game, placing him at the second spot amongst all NBA shot-blockers. Rudy Gobert, Joel Embiid and Hassan Whiteside are some of the names that failed to meet Robinson’s standards last year.
What’s even more impressive, is that he did all that by playing 20.6 minutes per game and starting on just 19 different occasions. By taking a look at the per 36 statistics for Robinson, we can see that he is the league leader in blocks by a landslide.
Ceiling: Dikembe Mutombo/DeAndre Jordan
Robinson has solidified himself as a top defender in the league incredibly early in his career. Rebounding seems to be fairly easy for him, mainly due to his insane height and length. One extra thing that stands out is his remarkable shot selection, which has led to some out-of-this-world records.
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The main hole in his game appears to be his willingness to aggressively contest shots. Robinson often falls for many pump fakes and, before you know it, he is in some severe foul trouble. Last season’s 5.7 fouls per 36 minutes certainly tell the whole story.
Other than that, Robinson is built for defensive greatness. His tremendous athleticism would allow him to further unlock his offensive capabilities if paired with a pass-first point guard like Jordan and Mutombo.
Floor: Nerlens Noel/Roy Hibbert
Those guys are not bad players in any way. The truth is, their over-eagerness on the defensive end has caused both of them some serious foul trouble, ultimately preventing them from evolving as players in their respective careers.
Head coach Mike Miller has done a good job with Robinson’s minutes, benching him whenever necessary. The sophomore just has to learn his lesson the hard way before jumping from “good” to “great” shot-blocker.