Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson will be out for several weeks with a broken hand.
We have an injury update on the status of New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson’s hand. He will have surgery and will be out for the foreseeable future. This was Robinson’s first full season as a starter in the Knicks’ frontcourt. What a setback for him professionally.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports Robinson sustained a fracture on the fourth metacarpal on his right hand in the Knicks’ Friday night victory over the Washington Wizards. He is expected to miss four-to-six weeks after he undergoes surgery. This is a devastating blow for the Knicks, as their potential playoff push has been dampened already in the middle of February. Will they recover?
Can the New York Knicks make the playoffs without Mitchell Robinson?
In 27 games this season, Robinson was averaging 8.4 pounds, 8.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in 28.8 minutes per contest. He started every game he played for new head coach Tom Thibodeau. While the Knicks won Friday night to improve to 12-15 on the year, they are in a three-way tie for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference with the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat.
While no team in the Eastern Conference is truly out of it yet, although time is running out for the Wizards and the Detroit Pistons to get it together, New York will have to adjust for the next month and a half without their starting center. Thibodeau may have been a godsend of sorts to this dysfunctional franchise, but a crushing blow like this to the rotation does hurt its playoff chances.
Look for Robinson to return to the hardwood by the end of March 2021 at the absolute latest.