Mitchell Robinson

New York Knicks: Injury bug moving through youth players

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New York Knicks, RJ Barrett

There is plenty of reason for optimism in regards to the New York Knicks in the 2019-20 season. Their youth players have plenty of talent and are looking to take a step forward with the signing of several veterans this off-season.

Second-year players like Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson are both potential starters I can make an impact right off the bat. However, they must avoid the injury bug which is already acting as a contagion for the Knicks youth.

Reports have stated that RJ Barrett, the Knicks third overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, suffered a mild calf strain during the NBA Las Vegas summer league in July. This has forced him to opt out of playing for Team Canada in the FIBA World Cup.

Realistically, this is a good thing for the Knicks as they do not want to risk their top rookie in a meaningless tournament. A majority of the USA national team opted out of playing due to health concerns as well.

In addition to Barrett, starting center for the Knicks, Mitchell Robinson, has also picked up an injury during the off-season. Robinson, on the other hand, joined team USA during the World Cup training in Las Vegas. He picked up a minor knee injury, which was unveiled after undergoing an MRI on Monday. The damage is nothing significant, and the team will take a conservative approach by holding him out of practice.

Best case scenario, Robinson does not participate in the World Cup and preserves his efforts for the regular season of the NBA. One of the league’s top up-and-coming big men, Mitchell has serious potential to develop into a top player and one of the best on the Knicks.

Robinson has worked this off-season to improve his three-point jump shot in an attempt to add another layer to his impressive skill set. He utilized this part of his game primarily in high school and is looking to bring it back out from the depths of his talents.

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Averaging 7.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game, is a reliable benchmark for Robinson who averaged 20.6 minutes. If he can build upon those numbers and increase his offensive production, there is no question he can be one of the most tantalizing players on the starting team.

New York Knicks: 3 Breakout Candidates for the 2019-2020 Season

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New York Knicks, Dennis Smith Jr.

The New York Knicks, Steve Mills, and Scott Perry had a busy yet significant 2019 offseason. The New York Knickerbocker front office paired their valuable high potential young assets in Mitchell Robinson, Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier, and Dennis Smith Jr. with first-round talent in RJ Barrett, second-rounder Ignas Brazdeikis, plus a few seasoned, tough, and battle-tested free agent veterans. The Knicks will definitely be an improved team and there’ll be three breakout candidates that will end up pleasing the Garden faithful on a nightly basis.

Dennis Smith Jr

One breakout candidate is the ball-dominant Dennis Smith Jr! The Knicks ultra-athletic point guard has seen a shot doctor this offseason. DSJ has critiqued his shooting form and conditioning. The former 2017 9th overall first-round draft selection by Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks showed positive signs last season when healthy. However, Dennis Smith’s conditioning wasn’t really up to par in order for him to consistently perform at a high level nightly. Plus, DSJ was missing free throws at an alarming rate last season. The 6’3 195 pound high flying slam dunk participant believes the offseason work is paying off. The New York Knicks will need this man to break out and dominate offensively and defensively. If the Knicks make the playoffs, Dennis Smith Jr. will definitely be the reason!

Kevin Knox

Another breakout candidate is 6’9 220 lbs Kevin Knox II. Kevin Knox had a very inefficient rookie season despite winning rookie of the month last December. Knox showed flashes of brilliance in small spurts. Other times Knox looked like a lost 19-year-old both offensively and defensively. This young offensive talent out of Kentucky has been working hard on his body and all aspects of his game. I’ve noticed Kevin Knox in summer league taking the ball to the basket often and fearlessly! That’s definitely a great sign. RJ Barrett’s attacking, physical downhill style might be rubbing off on Knox. Those two seem like they’re building chemistry and Knox’s smooth jumper will only improve with continued reps in the gym. Fizdale has been working with the young stud’s defense as well. It’ll be extremely crucial for Knox to figure out how to use his 6’9 inch height and 7-foot wingspan to defensively disrupt his opponent. Kevin Knox’s defense and aggressive offensive play must be key for a breakout season.

Mitchell Robinson

The third breakout candidate is defensive terror and the rim running, lob catching maniac Mitchell Robinson. Give this kid an elite shot-blocking and dunk badge 2K Sports! Mitchell Robinson will start at center which means he’ll lead the league in blocks. The game will slow down even more for Money Mitch because he’s definitely a student of the game on both ends of the floor. He’s gotten better at staying out of foul trouble and he’s gotten better at reading the opposing offenses. The sky is the limit for this hard-working second-round steal in the 2018 NBA draft. Robinson, Dennis Smith Jr, and Allonzo Trier been building real chemistry on that basketball court and it’s becoming scary! They’re young, hungry and improving. I definitely see future DPOY in this crazy athletic New York Knicks center!

New York Knicks: Does Bobby Portis pose a threat to Mitchell Robinson?

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New York Knicks, Mitchell Robinson

The New York Knicks brought in Bobby Portis to help add veteran quality and leadership to a team that relied heavily on its youth in 2018. It also injected another talented player into the frontcourt which ultimately could pose a threat to Mitchell Robinson, despite Portis knowing Robinsons is the preferred starter.

During his Knicks meetings June 30 in L.A., Portis was told that Robinson was starting center:

“Julius [Randle] and Mitchell will probably be starting power forward and center, but we have a lot of weapons coming off the bench that will be fun to watch,” Portis said. “I go out and play with a ton of passion and play the right way. In the number of minutes, 20 to 26, I can affect the game in a lot of positive ways.”

While Portis seems to be slotted into a reserve role, he has the quality to start if need be. Crowding the frontcourt might not have been the most efficient thing, but it adds a particular factor to a Knicks team that struggled offensively last season.

Bobby is more of an offensive-minded player, as his defense is average on his best day. Robinson, on the other hand, has immense potential, and the Knicks need to be aware of that reality. He averaged 7.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game last season. After Kristaps Porzingis was traded, he racked up and impressive 9.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game in 24.5 minutes.

Having a veteran option like Portis not only to help when called upon but to act as a de-facto mentor for Robinson, will be extremely beneficial. The issue at hand, however, is the playing time allocations.

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Is it possible that Portis steals essential playing time from Robinson, despite the positive influence he will undoubtedly have?

I anticipate the Knicks favoring Mitch heavily as they see what he’s capable of and the talent he brings to the floor. This is the time to go all out and allow the players to compete among each other for playing time, as year-two should see a substantial jump in overall quality.

New York Knicks: Allonzo Trier to return in 2019 with more offensive prowess

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New York Knicks, Allonzo Trier

Hitting on .394 of his three-point attempts in his rookie season proved that New York Knicks shooting guard Allon Trier was capable of making an impact on the floor.

The Knicks youth have all been working diligently on improving their game in different facets. Dennis Smith Jr. with his perimeter shot, Mitchell Robinson on a three-point shot, and not Trier trying to further refine his threes as well.

The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov detailed how players like Kevin Knox and Robinson are preparing for their second season at the NBA level.

Trier, the player of focus, will have plenty of competition this year in his quest to find playing time. Improving his jumper and three-ball are two essential tools he must have access to. Allonzo spoke to the Atheltic about his progression:

“It’s something Coach talked to me about,” he told The Athletic. “‘You shoot it so good.’ And the front office talked to me about I need to shoot more 3s off the catch, as soon as I can get it let it fly. They said you have such a beautiful stroke and shoot such a high percentage that you have to get more off so you can get — according to analytics, the more I get off and I shoot at a high percentage then it’ll be good for us. Not only myself but as a basketball team, so that’s one thing I’ve been focused on doing.”

Trier put up a solid stat line of 10.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game in 64 outings. He had great moments in his rookie season but also struggles as his defense lacked at times and his selfish style of play saw the offense sputter when he was cold.

What will Trier’s developed three-ball do for the New York Knicks?

Theoretically, improving his scoring ability will allow the offense to be more efficient for longer stretches throughout any given game. Momentum is a very important factor in basketball and Trier adding a consistent three-pointer to his game will give the Knicks that added leverage.

Despite a spat with Tim Hardaway Jr. and a lack of production at times, he still managed to secure a two-year, $6 million deal. Coming off the bench will likely be his best bet in the coming season, but if he can produce there’s more playing time to be had from the 6-foot-5 guard.

 

 

New York Knicks: What will Allonzo Triers Role be In 2019?

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New York Kicks, Allonzo Trier

The 2019-2020 NBA season will soon be upon us and the New York Knicks, fortunately, have a few young bright spots from last season. One of them went undrafted, Seattle native, 23-year-old, Allonzo Brian Trier.

This 6’5″ 200lbs fierce and competitive combo guard’s role is quite clear.  Trier’s purpose, of course, is to provide extra offensive torque, lift and power off the bench for the Knicks, similar to what Lou Williams provides for the clippers, also identical to what JR Smith’s role was with the New York Knicks during seasons 2012-2015. 

Last season, Trier proved he’s a legit NBA scoring machine. His deadly offensive repertoire had Knick fans at the edge of their seats drooling and waiting for the next trick he had in his secret bag in the middle of a lost season. This former Arizona Wildcat earned respect from those who didn’t know of him before he entered the league undrafted although coming out of high school, Trier was a projected mid-first-round talent. 

Trier went undrafted due to controversy, injury, and what some scouts would describe as a selfish style of play. He calls himself “Iso ZO” for a reason. However, the kid gets buckets like there won’t be a tomorrow.

How did the New York Knicks fair this offseason?

The New York Knicks led by Scott Perry and Steve mills had an extremely underrated 2019 offseason after coming up short in the Durant and Kyrie sweepstakes.

Perry went on to give out reasonable and tradeable contracts to veterans in order to provide scoring, depth, and relief for the young core in Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett, Dennis Smith Jr. Ignas Brazdeikis, Damyean Dotson and Frank Ntilikina. 

Allonzo will benefit from guys like Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington, and even Reggie Bullock due to their experience, professionalism, and knowledge, which can have a positive effect on Trier’s basketball IQ. “Keep What You Kill” will be in full effect in training camp. 

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That kind of competitive nature Fizdale preaches to the young studs will bring out the best in everybody. No Handouts. Coach Fizdale will be seeking wins this season, and Allonzo Trier will be comfortable knowing he will be the primary and first scoring option of the bench for the Knicks.

New York Knicks: Mitchell Robinson is the future of the franchise

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New York Knicks, Mitchell Robinson

While drafting Kevin Knox and RJ Barrett in the first rounds of the past two NBA Drafts automatically puts more expectation on their shoulders, New York Knicks second-year center Mitchell Robinson is taking advantage of the lack of pressure.

With everyone so focused on how Barrett will perform in 2019 and if he can live up to his potential, Robinson has sat quietly in the background excelling at everything he does. In fact, he could very well break out next season after a solid rookie campaign. He was recently added to the USA Select Team along with 24-year-old teammate Julius Randle.

Having a center as your best player is a rarity in the modern-day NBA, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Eerily similar to Clint Capela, Robinson is raw in his abilities and focuses on the basics – jumping, running, and dunking with ferocity. Having quality footwork and different inside moves are all a work in progress, but he’s developing them and those new skills will play an important part in his future success.

The next step Robinson is looking to take is to add a three-point shot to his repertoire, something he utilized in high school ball. Aside from Mitchell’s tangible traits, his intangibles are excellent. A calming presence in the locker room and a good person off the court, he’s built for the New York media and handling the criticism that ultimately comes with it.

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The hope is that he can continue to improve and develop a positive relationship with the fan base. Confidence is an important thing in NY — as quickly as you gained it you can lose it overnight. The fans and analysts are vicious, but if you can excel, there isn’t a better place to play in the world.

The Knicks brought in 10-year veteran Taj Gibson to help mentor Robinson and teach him the intricacies of the game. The center is only going into his second season, which attests to the massive ceiling he theoretically has.

The New York Knicks did the best thing for their youth in free agency

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New York Knicks, Kevin Knox, RJ Barrett

Some might argue that the New York Knicks did their team a huge disservice by signing multiple veterans that will ultimately pick up a ton of playing time in 2019. My argument is the opposite.

As an organization, babying your players and not allowing them to compete hurts them more than anything. Competition brings the best out of athletes, and that’s why signing a slew of veterans to come in and steal playing time away from guys like Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson and Damyean Dotson makes perfect sense.

Complacency is a dangerous thing, but it can be avoided by testing the younger players’ will power and ensuring they’re mentally ready to take on the challenge.

Who did the New York Knicks sign?

This offseason, the Knicks signed Marcus Morris, Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton, Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington, Bobby Portis, and Taj Gibson. Knox might be hurt the most by the excessive amount of power forward the team brought in, but it’s necessary for his development.

A majority of these deals are one/two-year deals with a team option, allowing the Knicks the theoretically move on after one season and open up cap-space to pursue a superstar in 2020-21. This is the right way to do things, as guaranteeing another year without playoffs just won’t fly in NY anymore. It’s simply time to contend no matter the cost.

Why will Kevin Knox struggle the most?

Selected ninth overall in 2018, Knox was never seen as a superstar right off the bat, but rather a long-term play for the team. Finishing his rookie campaign with 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and a 47 true shooting percentage in 57 starts, it was realized that the forward needed more time than expected to reach his potential.

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With playing time being the primary need, the Knicks added a ton of power forwards to shuffle him to the bottom of the roster. Knox has the ability to play both forward positions, but Randle and Portis will be frequent flyers at power forward and Bullock/Morris at small forward.

The logic behind this move doesn’t make much sense to me, but he was the only player that really struggled out of the Mitchell Robinson, Trier and Dotson grouping, and he was their first-round pick last year. Next season will be his time to show he can be the player the Knicks desperately need him to be.

Can the New York Knicks realistically contend for a playoff spot in 2019?

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New York Kicks, Allonzo Trier

The approach teams take in free agency can ultimately be the deciding factor in finding success the following season or failing and having to hit the restart button. The New York Knicks chose a path, one that avoided Kevin Durant and other superstars, maybe because they knew nobody was willing to buy in, however, they did manage to secure several quality veterans.

Options like Julius Randle and Marcus Morris, two efficient players that are capable scorers, were brought in to help transform the starting lineup. Last season, the Knicks essentially fielded a day-care, recording just 17 wins — the worst record in basketball.

The number of signings they made this offseason nearly equate the amount of wins they had, but one offseason can do a lot to the production of a team, and that leads us to our question.

Can the New York Knicks make the playoffs in 2019?

The answer to this question lies in the hands of head coach David Fizdale and whether or not he’s willing to utilize the veterans on the team over the youth players in need of minutes. Second-year players like Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier, Damyean Dotson, and even Mitchell Robinson could lose significant playing time to the new signings, but that’s ultimately the process of development.

At some point, the organization was going to have to test the mental strength of their young players, and creating position battles is the perfect way to extract that potential. The more experienced options give the Knicks a better chance at making the playoffs, but I anticipate Fizdale creating a functioning balance.

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Giving the Knicks the best chance to win will boil down to playing the right players at the right times, as there are so many different skill-sets that can be utilized. The surplus of power forwards will be helpful around the rim, and shooters like Trier will be essential to the success of the team. I wonder if Fiz will look to set different lineups for specific matchups and rotate players to fit schematic advantages.

The bottom line is, the playoffs might be a stretch in year two of a full rebuild, but it’s quickly becoming more of a possibility.

Could the New York Knicks start Bobby Portis over Mitchell Robinson?

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New York Knicks, Mitchell Robinson

The New York Knicks seem to be over the developmental stage of their youth players and are keen on featuring the best lineup possible on game days. However, that poses a potential problem for some of the second-year players — Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson to name a few.

In regards to the rising center, the Knicks could elect to start Bobby Portis, a capable starter in the league that is better than Robinson at the current moment. If head coach David Fizdale’s assignment is to floor the best lineup every day, Portis could be in the starting unit, rotating the two frequently.

The new acquisition is in a good position to help the team, and he’s confident the Knicks can make the playoffs, he stated in an interview with HoopsHype’s Alex Kennedy.

“The naysayers, the haters, the people who are doubting us will say that we’re crazy as hell for saying that (the playoffs are a realistic goal),” Portis said. “We have a lot of pieces who can play. I think we’re loaded at every position; there are two-to-three players who could start at every position. When you have that much talent, that rises the competitiveness and improves the team as a whole.”

Portis, however, is a primary power forward rather than a center, but he’s capable. Portis is a center because although he has three-point range, he cannot guard quicker opponents on the perimeter. His defensive limitations hold him to a rim protector, but that’s the secondary problem, he’s also terrible at protecting the rim. In the modern NBA, a big man who can’t guard anyone around the arch is inevitably a center.

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If Fizdale was smart, he would start Mitchell Robinson and never look back. Stunting his growth with a lack of playing time is the exact opposite of what he should be doing. It’s imperative he focuses his efforts around building upon the younger players who have shown potential, like Robinson and Dennis Smith Jr. We can even throw Allonzo Trier, Damyean Dotson and Knox in there for good measure.

New York Knicks: How will David Fizdale distribute playing time in 2019?

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New York Knicks, Kevin Knox, RJ Barrett

The New York Knicks are beyond the point of babysitting. They’ve signed multiple pricey free agents and will be looking to utilize their talent instead of prioritizing the development of their youth.

The 2018 season was used as such — allowing options like Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson, Damyean Dotson and more to rack up minutes with no consequences of failure. This upcoming season will be different. The front office wont hold back from playing the best players and we have to be ready to see options like Knox struggle to get on the court.

While we saw good things from Knox this past Summer League, the struggles will emerge again as they did last season. Whether he can fight through them or not is the question. However, just because the Knicks brought in players like Julius Randle and Marcus Morris doesn’t mean they can’t rotate frequently to ensure their players are gaining essential experience.

Building chemistry will also be a hurdle they must face head-on. Meshing rookies and youth with veterans isn’t always smooth, it will take playing time together to really help the team develop a cohesiveness.

I anticipate head coach David Fizdale favoring the players with the most potential at this point. He will undoubtedly start Randle, Morris, Robinson, and Dennis Smith Jr. The final slot could be handed to Knox, Dotson, Trier, Barrett…

Barrett, a 6-foot-7 winger, will earn his fair share of minutes, but his potential actually poses a problem for Fizdale who will have to floor an everyday lineup with a concentration of talent at power forward. Fizdale has been criticized in the past for his lineups — he consistently played Emmanuel Mudiay over Frank Ntilikina who absolutely ‘needed’ playing time.

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Finding a balance for Barrett, Robinson, Knox, Trier, Smith Jr., Ignas Brazdeikis, and veterans Elfrid Payton, Taj Gibson, Morris, Randle, and Bobby Portis will be difficult. They also have Wayne Ellington, a three-point sharpshooter.

The reality of the situation is that the Knicks could very well be a .500 team if they rely on the veterans. However, it’s still important that the youth players earn plenty of time on the court.