Mitchell Robinson will likely be out for several weeks with a fractured right hand.
According to ESPN’s Stephania Bell, NBA players are traditionally sidelined for 3-6 weeks when they break their hands.
We should find out more about Robinson’s calendar on Saturday after he is examined by the team doctors.
The Knicks (12-15) have won games largely on the strength of their defense. They entered the game on Friday in sixth place overall in terms of points allowed for 100 possessions.
Robinson played an important role in New York’s success in defense. He braved the shots in the circle, did a great job defending in space and stayed out of trouble.
Replacing him will be difficult.
Here are Tom Thibodeau’s first reflections on what his formations might look like without Robinson.
“We will have some flexibility. We can play smaller (formations). I like what Taj (Gibson) offers us. Obviously, the great value and the things Mitch brought to the team was the defensive component and I feel that Nerlens (Noel) does many of these things extremely well. And obviously Taj, that has been his strength throughout his career. So I don’t want to lose that piece.
“But I like the way Obi (Toppin) is coming. He’s giving us good minutes. So we have this option. We can scale and play Kevin (Knox) at 4. Play Julius (Randle) at 5. There are a number of things we can do. I like the versatility of our team.
“But whenever we lose a player of Mitch’s caliber, we have to make sure we play hard. You don’t replace a guy like that individually. We have to do it collectively and everyone has to come forward. “