To start or not to start. That is the question.
Mitchell Robinsonthe return from December, ankle operation is getting closer by the day, and the Knicks’ starting big man created a mini-controversy over his position in Tom Thibodeau’s rotation with a comment he made on Instagram after Sunday afternoon.
A Knicks fan page on social media posted a graphic of Robinson alongside Jalen BrunsonDonte DiVincenzo, OG Anunoby and Julius Randle as healthy Knicks starting five on March 4.
Two weeks later, Robinson commented under the post: “I’d rather come off the bench, maybe I can show more” with a shrug emoji.
The idea of Robinson coming off the bench isn’t as concerning as his reasoning.
After all, there is plenty of tape showing how dominant the Knicks’ starting center is when he’s consistently healthy on the court.
Robinson is a fierce rebounder, shot blocker, lob finisher and screen passer, a perennial Defensive Player of the Year, dark horse candidate, anchoring the paint for the Knicks on both ends of the court.
The New York “next-man-up” mentality, however, can breed a “what-have-you-done-for-me-lately” environment.
And lately, Isaiah Hartenstein has been stable at center for the Knicks, even though he faces a recurrent left Achilles tendon injury of its own.
The Knicks have believed since the start of the season that they have the best center double in all of basketball.
The question: who is one and who is two?
THE CASE FOR ROBINSON
Robinson was the undisputed starter at the start of the season, even when it became clear that Hartenstein was the best backup in the league at the time.
He was a full-time starter at center for the Knicks for four straight seasons and is a homegrown product as the Knicks’ 36th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Robinson has consistently ranked among the league’s top offensive rebounders over the past three seasons. In fact, he still leads the NBA in offensive rebounds per game (5.3) and ranks 41st in total offensive rebounds, even though he hasn’t played a game since December 8 .
Robinson’s vertical leap adds a dimension of lobbing threat that the Knicks haven’t often used with Hartenstein, Precious Achiuwa or Jericho Sims. And he’s a shot-blocking savant whose painting prowess doesn’t always show up in the box score: He deters drivers from attempting shots at the rim.
It’s hard to imagine opposing offenses effectively game planning for a Knicks defensive front featuring both Anunoby and Robinson when the seven-footer returns to the floor.
If you start Robinson immediately when he is cleared to play, you accelerate his ability to build chemistry with Anunoby in the starting lineup.
The Knicks traded for former Raptors star on Dec. 31, three weeks after Robinson’s injury in Boston against the Celtics. He has yet to play minutes with Anunoby, one of the most vital pieces of a deep playoff run in New York.
In fact, Robinson hasn’t played a full game this season with DiVincenzo in the starting lineup.
DiVincenzo’s first match replacing Quentin Grimes as a starter came the same night Robinson went down with an injury.
Return Robinson to the starting lineup as soon as he’s cleared, and he can regain chemistry and find a rhythm heading into the playoffs.
This gives Hartenstein an opportunity to return to his original role as one of the first players off the bench, and Thibodeau can use the remainder of the regular season games to determine his rotations with Achiuwa, Josh Hart, Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks.
It’s best for everyone to settle into the roles Thibodeau deems appropriate as soon as possible.
Achiuwa is another big man who deserves minutes in New York, and Thibodeau enjoys playing Achiuwa at the four.
An Anunoby-Achiuwa-Robinson defensive front could be impenetrable at The Garden.
Robinson is the missing piece of a dominant defensive interior in New York.
THE CASE FOR HARTENSTEIN
The Knicks have been just as good, if not better, since Hartenstein stepped in in Robinson’s absence.
Hartenstein has proven himself to be a legitimate starting center in the NBA this season with the Knicks – not just a backup playing beyond his means.
Hartenstein ranks top five in offensive rebounds and top 15 in total rebounds per game since Robinson’s stress fracture on Dec. 8.
He’s a gifted passer, although the Knicks don’t utilize his playmaking abilities as much as they should with the ball primarily in Brunson’s hands. And he’s been a much better presence than expected when it comes to rim protection, meeting several high-flyers at the rim for scoring rejections since he moved into the starting spot.
Without Hartenstein, Robinson’s abilities would have crippled the Knicks — or forced a different approach before the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline.
The Knicks are 26-14 in games Hartenstein has played since Robinson left the rotation Dec. 8 and just 2-4 in games he has missed due to left Achilles soreness.
Hartenstein also has team chemistry on his side: six of the 10 five-man lineups logging the most minutes in a Knicks jersey this season feature Hartenstein compared to just three for Robinson and one with Achiuwa and Sims sharing minutes.
When Robinson last played, RJ Barrett was holder and Emmanuel Quickley was the sixth man. Hartenstein was on the court for every performance of the 2023-24 Knicks.
The team has found a steady rhythm it can build on when Robinson and Randle join the rotation heading into the playoffs, and Robinson would be a game-changer as a defensive anchor and vertical threat. He could thrive in a unit with Bogdanovic and Burks.
Hartenstein is the glue that holds the ship together.
If it is not broke, do not fix it.
WHAT MAKES SENSE
Robinson’s health should be the top priority — and team chemistry should be a not-so-far second.
That’s why Robinson should come off the bench, not only until he proves he’s as dominant as he was pre-surgery, but until the team proves they can perform as well good, if not better, with Robinson in the starting lineup against Hartenstein.
One thing about Thibodeau: He’s going to floor the five players who give his Knicks the best chance of winning a game.
If that player is Robinson, Thibodeau will make the call — and even if he doesn’t start the game, he could stay on the floor for critical minutes late in the game.
Coming back to a team after more than three months away is no easier than joining a new team in a mid-season trade.
Make no mistake: This is a good problem for the Knicks. After all, the Knicks have the best double center in all of basketball.
As long as they don’t wonder who is one and who is both.
The priority should be to win, no matter who is on the field, and the player who gives the team the best chance to win will be the one who gets the nod.
