Somehow, Mitchell Robinson appeared in three preseason games — but isn’t ready for opening night at Madison Square Garden.
And as the Knicks prepared to tip off against the Cleveland Cavaliers, there was still no timetable for when their starting center will make his regular-season debut.
Wednesday marked the culmination of a confusing few weeks regarding Robinson’s status. He entered training camp healthy and noticeably leaner, but after playing just three separate first halves of basketball, culminating with 13 minutes in the Oct. 9 preseason matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he was pulled — and hasn’t played or practiced since.
Now, the 27-year-old big man’s status is once again wrapped in uncertainty. Knicks head coach Mike Brown has deferred to the team’s medical staff, citing precautionary measures with Robinson’s twice-operated left ankle.
Yet Robinson played in three exhibition games, raising questions about why he was cleared for preseason minutes in the first place if it would jeopardize his availability for opening night.
“There may be a stretch of five games where we may sit him. There may be a stretch of two games where we may sit him,” Brown said before tipoff Wednesday. “There’s no definition of what load management is. You just go along … myself and the medical team and the front office will go along as we see fit, and we’ll decide if we want to sit him during practice or we want to sit him in a game. It’s as simple as that.”
The bigger picture isn’t reassuring. Robinson has appeared in just 107 total games over the past three seasons: 17 last year, 31 in 2024, and 59 in 2023 as injuries have derailed his development and forced the Knicks to constantly patch the center rotation.
Robinson’s contract situation further complicates matters as he’s set to hit unrestricted free agency next summer. The starting center is a dominant rebounder, rim protector and vertical lob threat, but the flashes seen through preseason were unavailable for opening night.
Brown says he’s not worried.
“To be honest I don’t think about that stuff,” he said. “I allow our medical team to handle it and I’ll take the lead after they give me word because that’s what their job is, and for me to get into that, I’m not an expert at it.”
Robinson wasn’t the only name missing from the Knicks’ lineup Wednesday. Josh Hart, sidelined since suffering lower-back spasms during the preseason opener in Abu Dhabi, still hasn’t practiced or played. Karl-Anthony Towns’ status also fluctuated throughout the day — from probable to doubtful, then back to questionable — with a lingering quad issue.
“As a head coach you want all your guys all the time,” Brown said. “You want to be greedy in that regard.”
That luxury will have to wait.
New York’s roster is deeper across the board, but center remains its thinnest position. Robinson is the Knicks’ only true rim protector, and Ariel Hukporti — a second-year prospect — is the lone seven-footer behind Towns. Hukporti got the start for the load-managed Robinson, with Brown opting to stay big against Cleveland rather than downsize by starting Miles McBride.
“I’m a big [proponent of] next man up, next player up. It doesn’t matter how many people are out,” Brown said. “You’re hoping it’s not a ton, but that’s what all these guys get paid to do. They get paid to be ready to play whenever their number is called. They gotta go out and perform — not do anything outside the box — but perform at the highest level, starting with having that competitive spirit.
“And we still expect to win no matter who’s in uniform. That’s our goal.”
