Now down two games to one in their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, the New York Knicks are definitely missing starting center Mitchell Robinson, who’s been out since March 29 with a broken right foot.
And it appears the 23-year old is growing restless on the sidelines.
Robinson posted this message on his Instagram story on Friday night, seemingly begging to be brought back to the hardwood:
Mitchell Robinson sounds off from the sidelines. 🥴🙏
(via @mrobinson23_ on Instagram) pic.twitter.com/InPpU8zTTT
— x – The Strickland (@TheStrickland) May 29, 2021
It’s not the first time fans have heard from the big man this week, as he also fired off a cryptic tweet just hours before Game Two:
👀
— Mitchell Robinson (@23savage____) May 26, 2021
It sent fans into a spiral, wondering if Robinson was preparing to have his own “Willis Reed” moment.
But Game Two came and passed, and the center made no appearance.
The same can be said for Game Three, where Atlanta took a two to one series lead in a dominant home victory.
For now, that looks to stay the case, with there still no concrete timetable on a return for Mitchell Robinson.
Thibodeau: ‘He’s Still Several Steps Away’
Before the New York Knicks’ comeback Game Two victory over the Atlanta Hawks, head coach Tom Thibodeau was asked (via the New York Post) about Mitchell Robinson’s rehab and his pending return:
Just basically the same. He’s still several steps away. He’s doing well overall. Good, steady progress. We’re not taking any chances with him. He’s got to go step-by-step. He’s doing a little bit, but not much. Then the first step is doing individual stuff, then he has to be cleared for team practices. We’re just going to be patient and go through the process.
But as Jonathan Macri of Knicks Film School reported in his pregame stream on Wednesday, it’s possible that the Knicks are preparing for the possibility of the center making a return in this series:
I was told basically don’t rule out Mitch as returning, and that, he has been…the term I used was “briefed” on the Hawks. They are preparing as if there’s a possibility at least that Mitchell Robinson plays in this series.
It’s been only two months since Robinson suffered a broken foot back in March, so a return at this point would definitely seem premature, although the Knicks never set a timetable for his return.
Maybe a return during a potential second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers is more realistic.
New York would be even more outmatched than they are now, and up against an MVP-finalist in center Joel Embiid.
For now, Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks are trusting Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson to get the job done, with third-string big Norvel Pelle on stand-by.
Extension Implications
Whenever there’s any kind of disparity between the thought processes of the team and their star young player, eyes will be drawn to said player’s contract.
There’s no confirmed bad blood between the New York Knicks and Mitchell Robinson. But he clearly thinks differently of his status than the team’s staff.
So it seems worth noting that Robinson has one year remaining on his rookie deal, and New York was expected to engage him on extension talks this summer.
Could this affect those talks? Could having to sit out for a postseason he views himself as healthy push Robinson to test free agency in 2022?
As is the case with his cryptic social media posts, only one person has all the answers.
And right now, he’s at home watching his team struggle through their first playoff series since 2013.
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