For those who don't watch a lot of Knicks basketball, congratulations on successful time management, and please allow this article to serve as a formal introduction to the defensive Ithaqua that is Mitchell Robinson.
Robinson, a player that fell to the 36th overall pick just a few months ago, now seems untouchable for a team that has made it clear that no one is untouchable. With each border-line goaltending block, the 7'1 center makes a stronger case for being the Knicks' defensive cornerstone. From Joel Embiid drives to James Harden stepbacks, Mitchell Robinson blocks the unblockable. His 7'4 wingspan allows him to regularly Mario Hezonja shots that seem like an easy bucket.
"He's long," Embiid told MSG's Rebecca Haarlow after the Sixers beat the Knicks last month. "I mean, a couple times I thought I had a shot and he just came up with his long ass arms and blocked it."
A lot of the NBA has learned the same lesson Embiid summarized so eloquently.
The argument could be made that Robinson is already the league's best shot blocker, as his 2.4 blocks per game have him well ahead of the reigning Defense Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and tied with Anthony Davis for second. Robinson is the only player in the NBA to average over two blocks while playing less than 20 nightly minutes and is the first player to do such since Alonzo Mourning did it in the 2005-06 season. On the other end of that statistic, it's worth noting that both JaVale McGee and John Henson averaged exactly two blocks per game in under 20 minutes of play early in their careers.
However, sticking with the positive, it's the type of shots that Robinson swats out of the air that makes his defensive potential seem so unlimited.
Despite operating with an almost freakish length, Robinson moves on the court like an athletic forward, allowing him to act as a shot-blocking flytrap to perimeter players that think they have an open shot. This uncanny ability to switch onto smaller players while also being able to contest shots around the rim places Robinson in a defensive category that only perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidates make up. A player that managed to fall to the second round will be named Defensive Player of the Year more than once before his career is over. It may seem like I'm just going with the hype of a rookie showing potential, but the high career expectations are coming from the guy who watches Robinson play the most--Knicks head coach David Fizdale.
"I think he’s got potential to be defensive player of the year,’’ Fizdale said. “Definitely lead the league in blocked shots. He’ll be a guy, too, as a center, he’ll be a top steals guy in that position."
Robinson's length, emphasis on defense and disappearance on offense draws the natural comparison of Rudy Gobert. Both players have the rare ability to make NBA defense fun, as each shot makes you wonder if they can magically pop onto your screen and send the shot out of the frame. Despite both players attempting single-digit shot attempts per game, Gobert and Robinson have the highest player efficiency ratings of their respective teams at 24.2 and 21.7. As Robinson's body develops and he begins to earn more minutes, I expect him to be for the Knicks what Rudy Gobert is for the Jazz--a defensive anchor that provides the occasional offensive putback or alley-oop finish.
Mitchell Robinson has the potential to be the best defensive player in the game, but a failure to develop his body and on-court IQ could easily shift his future from a Rudy Gobert prototype to a JaVale McGee or John Henson-type big. Ultimately, it's up to Robinson and the developmental team of the New York Knicks to determine whether the rookie becomes basketball's next great defensive anchor or just another lengthy rotational shot blocker.