In an otherwise strong offseason, the New York Knicks have a glaring weakness at center that could interfere with a title in 2024. Losing Isaiah Hartenstein was a huge blow, and not replacing him at this point is curious. It seemed odd that they didn’t use one of their two first-round picks in this year’s draft on a center, for example. However, there have been rumors that they’ve committed to the Utah Jazz for Walker Kessler , which is an obvious move.
However, their center depth currently consists of the perennially injured Mitchell Robinson, who is coming off ankle surgery. Supporting Robinson are the undersized Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims , whose athleticism doesn’t make up for his lack of tangible signs of defensive IQ. The Knicks need to show some urgency at the position, as their center depth is underwhelming heading into training camp.
The only glaring weakness for the Knicks is at center, as Hartenstein ended up signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He left for nearly double what the Knicks could offer. OKC’s gain is undoubtedly the Knicks’ loss. He was durable first and foremost, a beast on the offensive boards and an essential pick-and-roll partner for Jalen Brunson. Not to mention, his relentless energy and determination were all key to the team’s culture last year.
Now, is he irreplaceable? No. He’s struggled against bigger and better centers, especially in the playoffs. The limping 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid and Myles Turner have dominated him in the playoffs. Despite that, he may be missed more than many are saying. His work on both ends of the floor will be sacrificed now that Robinson is expected to earn his minutes since Hartenstein was the superior offensive player.
Robinson was elite in his skillset in 2022-23. He was sixth in the NBA in blocks in 2022-23, and the league’s top offensive rebounder that season. There’s no doubt that when he’s healthy, he’s an elite center who protects the rim and the offensive rebound. He’s also a lob threat. The key component with him is health.
At this point, unfortunately, it looks like it’s an awkward landing after a long stretch on the bench. For example, Robinson broke his foot in 2021. Then, ankle surgery last season cost him 49 games. Unfortunately for him, he returned to the playoffs only to deal with a stress injury to the same ankle. Joel Embiid exacerbated that injury by pulling his ankle while Robinson was in mid-air. However, his absence likely denied the Knicks a deep playoff run. How many more years will the Knicks have to put up with this injury risk?
It’s hard to imagine how the Knicks can plan to have him play so many games this year, given that he’s been plagued by injuries his entire career, aside from 2021-22. Even when he’s on the floor, he’s only averaged 24.5 minutes per game for his career. If the Knicks don’t trade him, they’ll have to cover the rest of those minutes. Is Precious Achiuwa well covered? He’s excelled since arriving as part of the Anunoby deal and is an adequate replacement, but he’s more comfortable as a back-up four.