The NBA Finals start tonight, with the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs competing to see who wins the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy.
While San Antonio will sport homecourt advantage, the Knicks, on the heels of consecutive sweeps, look to succeed as the underdog. Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson will be the focus. Yet, one player and his health could end up being a determining factor.
What Is Mitchell Robinson’s Injury Status?
The series focuses on Wembanyama’s size and versatility and Brunson’s clutch ability. However, the Knicks, while they can rely on Brunson to score, still need to defend the Spurs’ star center.
Robinson, known for his rebounding and defense, provides New York with six fouls that starter Karl Anthony Towns does not need to offer up. Last week, Robinson underwent surgery to repair a fracture on the fifth metacarpal of his right hand. ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst provided insight.
“Obviously, it is a significant injury, but he is expected to try to play.” As per another ESPN insider Shams Charania, Robinson is expected to play in Game 1.
Robinson’s inclusion in the rotation helps New York avoid a matchup nightmare against the much quicker Wembanyama. Instead, Robinson gives Towns a breather on the bench as some of the second unit hopes to keep the game within reach. While Windhorst doesn’t diminish Robinson’s impact, he explains why his presence is needed.
“He’s only averaging 14 minutes in the playoffs. That said, against Victor Wembanyama, so to speak, you need all hands.”
According to Basketball Reference, the 27-year-old averages 14.2 minutes during this year’s postseason. Granted, with his 5.3 points per game in the playoffs this season, Robinson is connecting on 73.7% of his shots.
Moreover, those minutes result in 5.5 rebounds. In his explanation, Windhorst forgot one key aspect: Neither Towns nor Robinson may be the one guarding Wembanyama for the majority of the game. That means the duo will see time playing defense against the San Antonio standout, just with help.
During their regular-season matchups, power forward OG Anunoby took on some of the responsibility. Despite surrendering roughly nine inches in height, Anunoby’s lower-body strength does work in pushing taller players out of the paint. For his height, the Spurs center is not a physical player, preferring to use finesse over power.
No one expects Robinson to lock down Wembanyama, just contain him enough to allow the Knicks’ offense to start moving without the worry of needing to panic to keep the score close. Can Robinson play enough minutes to be effective defensively, or will the injury become a determining factor in the series?
