Ten days after his return to competition, Mitchell Robinson continues to fumble. The New York pivot is clearly not yet 100% and his playing time is limited by the staff, since he has not yet played more than 20 minutes in a match.
After the victory against Milwaukee on Sunday evening, the player confided that he was still playing with the handbrake for fear of a relapse. An apprehension linked to his operation on his right ankle, which he will have to get rid of by the playoffs.
“I try to push, to take the contact despite that. Because it's clear that no one wants this to happen again. Clearly, I don't want to. It's something I have to get used to again.”, did he declare.
A big week to regain your feelings
His hesitations mainly have an impact on his offensive production, while he is usually among the most efficient players in the league, with a 70% career shooting success rate. As for the defense, he particularly stood out on Sunday with three blocks, including one on Giannis Antetokounmpo. The basics are there, but everything still needs to be perfected according to Mitchell Robinson.
“The defense comes back faster”, he added, however mentioning some persistent timing concerns on the rebound. “Usually I know exactly how the ball is going to move. Whereas at the moment, it's more nonsense. I'm going to put my hand there, catch the ball, and it's going to slip through my fingers. I tell myself that this is something that I also need to correct.”
The pivot also conceded that his physical condition was not yet optimal.
With four more important matches to play, he will have a little time to recover in order to arrive at 100% for the playoffs. This is his main objective, but for the moment, the person concerned remains cautious.
” I really do not know “he replied when asked if he saw himself returning to his best level for the playoffs. “I'm just taking it day by day, so once I get it all figured out, I'll be fine.”
| Mitchell Robinson | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2018-19 | NYK | 66 | 21 | 69.4 | 0.0 | 60.0 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 6.4 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 7.4 |
| 2019-20 | NYK | 61 | 23 | 74.2 | 0.0 | 56.8 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 7.0 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 9.7 |
| 2020-21 | NYK | 31 | 28 | 65.3 | 0.0 | 49.1 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 8.1 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 8.3 |
| 2021-22 | NYK | 72 | 26 | 76.1 | 0.0 | 48.6 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 8.6 | 0.5 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 8.5 |
| 2022-23 | NYK | 59 | 27 | 67.1 | 0.0 | 48.4 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 9.4 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 7.4 |
| 2023-24 | NYK | 27 | 26 | 55.9 | 0.0 | 36.8 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 9.2 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 5.7 |
| Total | 316 | 25 | 70.0 | 0.0 | 51.6 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 8.0 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 8.0 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
