Just 25 games remain on the New York Knicks' schedule, and they have yet to have a full roster. Even so, they are 17 games above .500 and third in the Eastern Conference, giving them reason to feel confident that they could contend for a championship once fully healthy.
Fortunately, it appears they could be back at full strength within the next week, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania. Chariana reports that Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, who hasn't played in more than nine months, is set to return within the next week. That would give them a big boost after some recent struggles.
Reporting for NBA Countdown on ABC -- New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is closing in on his season debut: pic.twitter.com/iFJYjIriPe
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 23, 2025
They are just 6-4 in the last 10 games and have had some high-profile struggles against good teams. New York has the worst record against above .500 teams of any of the top four teams in the East and the top six teams in the West.
To their credit, they do dominate against below .500 teams, something that any good team should do. However, when it comes to getting wins against playoff-caliber teams, they have struggled to do so.
With Robinson back, hopefully that will soon change for the Knicks, giving them a big defensive boost with time to spare, allowing them to slowly integrate him into the rotation. While he may not start immediately, that could be the end goal, giving the Knicks better balance on both sides of the ball.
Mitchell Robinson returning gives the Knicks a big boost at the perfect time.
Starting Karl-Anthony Towns has allowed the Knicks to maximize their spacing and has led to them being a top-five team on the offensive end of the floor this season. Be that as it may, they are just 21st in defensive rating, giving them room to improve on that end of the floor.
Adding Robinson to the starting lineup would push Towns down to power forward and give them more size, allowing them to hopefully defend the paint better. Having a true rim protector should also help New York's perimeter defense, with them often struggling to stop teams from knocking down threes.
Having Robinson as the last line of defense would allow for Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby to guard more freely. On the other hand, adding Robinson to the starting five may make them easier to defend on the offensive end, but the trade-off could make them a better team, especially in the playoffs when defense matters more and stops are harder to come by.
Ultimately, Robinson's return is a great thing for the Knicks, and they should have plenty of time to figure out how to best utilize him. That could mean that he comes off the bench against certain opponents and starts against others, but it's clear that they will need him healthy to make a deep run in the playoffs this season.