Mitchell Robinson said at the start of the pitch that he doesn’t mind coming off the bench, but the big man of the third year has entered the starting lineup in the absence of Noel in the last two games and has been particularly “fantastic”, according to manager Tom. Thibodeau, in The Cavaliers at the Garden’s Friday 36-Point Defeat.
22-year-old Robinson scored eight points, took 12 rebounds and blocked four shots without committing a personal foul, and the Knicks were a huge plus-46 in the 27 minutes he was down.
“It was great. The same can be said for him about the way he trained and worked, coming early and staying late, training well, concentrating, “Thibodeau said after the game.” I thought he played as hard as he could.
“It was on the floor, it was everywhere. He was on the edge, repelling blows, bouncing the ball, running across screens, exerting pressure on the circle. He did a lot of good things. We will take a look at the film and continue to push it to improve. “
On December 1, Thibodeau said Robinson “has a long way to go”, adding that the Knicks were “very lucky to have Noel” as their complement and mentor.
Robinson went off the bench in 101 of his 127 career games, including just six games last season.