Dominate the offensive glass, rinse, and repeat. That’s seemingly the mantra for New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, who has become the most dominant offensive-rebounding force in the NBA.
The 25-year-old posted 11 offensive rebounds in the Knicks’ 122-108 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night — already the second time in 13 games this season that he’s recorded a game with 10 or more o-boards. It moved him into third all-time in franchise history on the franchise’s offensive-rebound list behind only Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley.
He’s the only player this season in the NBA with multiple games of 10-plus offensive rebounds and is also the only active player in the league with multiple consecutive seasons of posting multiple 10-plus o-board games (three).
“I can’t explain it. You just have to go out there and watch it,” point guard Jalen Brunson said. “He’s been great. The things he’s been able to do for us… it’s nothing short of spectacular.”
Brunson and the Knicks’ offense have been notable benefactors of Robinson’s prowess. Their 16.5 second-chance points per game rank fifth in the NBA this season.
Robinson himself leads the NBA with 6.0 offensive rebounds per game. Only Bismack Biyombo of the Memphis Grizzlies has an average within two boards of the New York big man in that stat. Yet that number still doesn’t do his domination justice.
Per 100 possessions, Robinson is averaging 10.1 offensive rebounds. That’s more than 10 teams in the league, including the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks.
“I think this year he’s gone to another level,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “The growth has been great. He’s critical to our team. His teammates have a great appreciation — coaches, the organization — for all the little things that he does to help the team succeed.”
