NBA insider Shams Charania swapped The Athletic for ESPN last week and made his First Take debut on Thursday armed with two stories. He first announced that three-time NBA champion Danny Green was retiring from the NBA after 15 seasons. The second breaking story was an update about Knicks center Mitchell Robinson’s health, which left Stephen A. Smith distraught.
Advertisement
Charania revealed that the 26-year-old, who underwent foot surgery in the offseason, won’t return until January at least. Smith, a diehard Knicks fan, was irked by the update and slammed his desk before taking his frustration out on the insider. The analyst said,
“See, I knew you’d bring me bad news, Shams, you knew. How long you’ve been here? 3 minutes and you are bringing me bad news already.”
.@ShamsCharania revealed that Mitchell Robinson will miss the remainder of the calendar year while recovering from foot surgery.@stephenasmith couldn't believe it 😭 pic.twitter.com/Mvy7ZpG7hf
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 10, 2024
Charania then rubbed salt in Smith’s wounds. He revealed that Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau planned on playing Robinson at center and new acquisition Karl-Anthony Towns at power forward. However, he will now have to revisit his plans as the center is set to miss at least 30 games.
The 26-year-old’s injury is a massive blow to the Knicks as his skillset would fit perfectly alongside Towns.
Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns are a terrific match on paper
Last season, the forward had one of his most impactful years as a two-way star. With Gobert protecting the rim, Towns could use his size and strength to block lanes and defend one-on-one in the perimeter and it was the perfect formula on the defensive end.
The Timberwolves posted the best defensive rating in the league at 108.4, the only team under 110. Towns’ defensive rating of 108.7 ranked seventh in the league and the third-best of his career.
The Knicks were hoping to replicate that formula with Towns at forward and Robinson protecting the rim. They finished top 10 in defensive rating last season and were seemingly expecting to push higher in that ranking after acquiring the former Timberwolves star.
However, Robinson’s injury will leave the Knicks with no choice but to play Towns at center, where he will have to exert more energy on the defensive end which could affect his efficiency.
It’s a temporary issue, as the center is expected to return to action in January. However, the lengthy layoff and his injury history suggest Towns will start at least half if not more games as the rim protector.
