Mitchell Robinson reflects on his ‘journey’ with Knicks after advancing to second round
It's been quite the journey for the longest-tenured Knick, Mitchell Robinson, since being selected with the sixth pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft out of the University of Western Kentucky.
The big man has endured head coaching changes and dreadful losing campaigns to now see the squad develop into a juggernaut and the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
Robinson has also fought through numerous bouts with the injury bug over the years. But when healthy, he's a fierce down-low presence and one of the top rebounders on both ends of the floor.
With the team advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season following a Game 6 win over the 76ers on Thursday night, Robinson took some time to reflect on that journey.
"I'm proud to be part of it," he said. "That fight, that grit, and just that taking over. I've been here for six years, it's been amazing just developing and seeing how everything goes."
The 28-year-old was in the midst of another tremendous campaign, playing his usual stellar defense and leading the league with 5.3 offensive rebounds per game, when he went down with an ankle injury.
Some feared Robinson would remain sidelined for the remainder of the season, but he was able to make his way back to the team down the stretch after a four-month absence.
He's been a bit limited since returning to the court, and dealt with a setback during Game 3, which forced him back to the sidelines. But when out there, the 7-foot center has settled in nicely off the bench.
Robinson averaged just three points per game, but he served as a presence down low on the glass -- reeling in 7.8 rebounds -- and played some tough and gritty defense against reigning MVP Joel Embiid.
While Robinson was happy with how he held up during the tough back-and-forth series, he admitted that he's still trying to find his footing a bit out there.
"Embiid's a reigning MVP and a great player, just being able to fight with him and hold our own out there was pretty great," Robinson said. "But I'm still figuring it out. I've still got my little problems and I'm just trying to maintain it the best way I can and continue to fight."
That fight will continue on Monday when the Knicks open their second round matchup against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden.
With Indiana's lack of size, both Robinson and starting center Isaiah Hartenstein have a chance to establish themselves as X-factors.
If they can do that and star point guard Jalen Brunson can keep dominating, New York just might be looking at its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since the 1999-2000 season.
