Mitchell Robinson was having a standout season before suffering an ankle injury that required surgery, averaging 10.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game while being the league’s leading offensive rebounder.
Having him play on the Knicks’ second unit alongside Miles McBride, Josh Hart and Bojan Bogdanovic would strengthen that unit’s defense while also allowing Hartenstein to play with the starters after developing phenomenal chemistry with them. It also gives Thibodeau more flexibility to stagger Robinson and Hartenstein’s minutes depending on which presence they need most in certain situations.
Beyond that, having Robinson play off the bench would be more beneficial to his development as he prepares for the playoffs, as he will definitely need to find his form after missing several months of action.
No rotation decisions have been made at this time if Robinson returns, but it might make more sense to bring him off the bench, at least temporarily. However, having him back will be huge for the Knicks in the playoffs, as he brings a dominant presence below the rim that not many other bigs can replicate.