Knicks center Mitchell Robinson trying to put injury behind him and ‘shake back’

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson was a force during the first-round series win over the Cavaliers, breaking records while helping his team advance to the second round of the playoffs. But he just didn’t look like the same player in the Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat.

While Robinson was able to grab 14 rebounds on Sunday and go a perfect 3-for-3 from the field, he wasn’t nearly as impactful on defense and oftentimes seemed hobbled while moving around the court. After the game, when he was asked if he was banged up at all, he simply replied, “Very.”

Now, being banged up at this stage of the NBA season is not a shock, but the Knicks are going to need their defensive stalwart to be more of a difference-maker for the remainder of the series if they have any hopes of advancing.

In the Cleveland series, Robinson averaged 8.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game. However, on Sunday his -13 plus/minus was the worst mark of any player on the court, regardless of team.

Mitchell Robinson Knicks — Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) and New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) reach for a rebound during the first half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

In addition to dealing with being banged up, part of the struggle in Game 1 for Robinson was the drastically different matchups he has to face in this series. Against Cleveland, he was asked to defenders seven-footers in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen who do most of their work around the rim. Against Miami, he has to guard either center Bam Adebayo or power forward Kevin Love, depending on the lineup that Miami plays.

“In Bam’s case, he handles the ball a lot more [than the Cavaliers’ centers],” explained head coach Tom Thibodeau before Sunday’s game. “He initiates the offense, so you’re going to be put in some different situations there. But in terms of being the anchor on the defense, protecting the rim, being up on pick-and-rolls, that that part will be the same.”

Unfortunately, that part wasn’t really the same on Sunday. For starters, Adebayo was able to get into the paint way more than Robinson and the Knicks would have liked.

“They play two different roles,” Robinson admitted after the game. “They have two different styles of play. Bam brings the ball up; Jarett [Allen ]didn’t. So, you know, I just got to be aware of that and not allow him in the key. I mean it’s just a different focus.”

What makes that focus even more complicated is that the Heat also went with a smaller lineup where Kevin Love was playing center. As a 37% career three-point shooter, Love is obviously very comfortable around the perimeter, which meant that Robinson also had to defend Love outside the three-point line.

That brought Robinson away from the paint but also caused the big man to have to do way more stopping, planting, and sprinting in order to try and help stop penetration but also close out on Love for three-point shots.

That seemed to take its toll on Robinson on Sunday, but the Knicks center didn’t shy away from acknowledging that he has to be better for his team. He even took to social media to ensure fans that he would “shake back.”