NBA: Ranking every team’s best player in 2020-21

30. Mitchell Robinson, C, New York Knicks

Last season Julius Randle got the nod here for the New York Knicks, a free agent addition with plenty of offensive talent. Randle had a mediocre year for a bad team, and he was passed over by Mitchell Robinson. The center out of Western Kentucky has been one of the league’s best shot-blockers from day one, and last year he grew (somewhat marginally) in lowering his fouls and improving his overall defensive positioning to make a more consistent defensive impact.

This next season will be about growing his offensive game. He can rebound and put the ball back up just fine, but this Knicks team desperately needs avenues to score points. Robinson’s ability to add shot attempts in an efficient way will be crucial to this team becoming more than it has been over the past few years.

In the Mix Randle is still on this team and remains a talented scoring threat, even if he offers little else. R.J. Barrett was last year’s third overall pick, but he had a poor rookie season mired by the poor roster construction around him. This year’s lottery pick was Obi Toppin, who is a polarizing prospect with huge offensive upside. This team is still waiting to land its white whale, a free agent drawn by the allure of playing in New York.