Knicks taking load management to new level when it come to Mitchell Robinson

2 hours ago 3

All that’s missing is bubble wrap.

The Knicks are doing everything possible to keep the oft-injured Mitchell Robinson healthy, sitting him for a good portion of the preseason.

It continued in the exhibition finale Friday night against the Hornets — a 113-108 Knicks victory — with Robinson healthy but inactive.

Load management is nothing new in the NBA, and the Knicks figure to utilize it more under new coach Mike Brown than former coach Tom Thibodeau.

“If it was a regular game or a playoff game, to my understanding Mitch was going to play,” Brown said.

Brown said that Casey Smith, who leads the team’s performance group, advised the team to hold out the 7-foot-1 Robinson, an elite rim-protector and offensive rebounder.

Asked if there is a specific plan for the regular season, in terms of minutes and games played for Robinson, Brown said he wasn’t told of one yet.

“Our performance group, led by Casey, and it’s above my head in terms of getting into the specifics with it,” he said, when asked the reasoning behind the move.

Mitchell Robinson talks to the media earlier this month.Mitchell Robinson talks to the media earlier this month. NBAE via Getty Images


Robinson was held out of Monday’s exhibition and played just 13 minutes in the previous contest. Robinson has only now practiced recently, which the Knicks say is part of their plan.

Robinson appeared in just 17 games during the regular season last year. After Robinson made his debut on Feb. 28, the team often limited his minutes and didn’t have him play in back-to-backs.

Entering the final season of his contract, Robinson did shine in the playoffs, helping the Knicks reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years.

Mitchell Robison slams home a dunk during the Knicks' 113-104 preseason win over the 76ers on Oct. 4, 2025.Mitchell Robison slams home a dunk during the Knicks’ 113-104 preseason win over the 76ers on Oct. 4, 2025. AP

He averaged 4.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and notched a NET rating of plus-2.7 in the postseason — meaning the Knicks outscored the opposition by 2.7 points per 100 possessions with Robinson on the floor.

Injuries have been a constant for Robinson, who has averaged 48.1 regular season games in his seven-year career.

Considering his impact when healthy, it makes sense that the Knicks are doing everything possible to keep him on the court.

Robinson has started in the three preseason games he has played in, and Brown is planning to use him in tandem with Karl-Anthony Towns, possibly in his starting lineup.

Brown likes the duo together because it allows him to move Towns around at different positions, making it harder for opposing defenses to load up against him as the starting center.

By starting Towns at the four, it gives the Knicks more length.

What’s happening on and off the Garden court

Sign up for Inside the Knicks by Stefan Bondy, a weekly exclusive on Sports+.

Thank you

“When you’re playing with two bigs, it’s going to be exciting to see,” the 27-year-old Robinson said recently. “We did a little bit of it last year and we had success with it. So, we’re going to see how it goes from there.”

On paper, it seems like it could be an exciting and productive pairing.

In 165 playoff minutes last spring, they produced a plus-4.4 NET rating together.

Brown has said it gives the Knicks a different dimension. But it can only work if Robinson is healthy, and the team is doing whatever it can to ensure that happens.

Read Entire Article