What Mitchell Robinson's injury really means for Knicks' NBA Finals matchup with Spurs

For the most part, both the Spurs and Knicks come into the 2026 NBA Finals as the best version of themselves.

While San Antonio bested the defending champions last round, as Victor Wembanyama has stepped up to the playoff stage and young players like Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper have blossomed toward stardom, the Knicks also come in a roll, winners of 11-straight playoff games thanks to Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and more.

However, there is one looming injury that could have a significant impact on these Finals — Knicks backup center Mitchell Robinson is playing through a broken metacarpal in his right hand, ESPN's Brian Windhorst detailed on Wednesday. While Robinson comes off the bench for New York, his presence against the Spurs' 7-4 center will be one of the matchups that could decide the series.

Here's how Robinson's injury could impact the Finals. 

MORE: Everything known about Mitchell Robinson's mysterious hand injury

What Mitchell Robinson's injury means for NBA Finals

Robinson, who is averaging 14.2 minutes per game off the bench in the 2026 playoffs as Towns' backup, is in line to play in Game 1 after initial concern with his a finger/hand injury.

However, depending on how well he's able to play through the injury, it could have drastic consequences on Mike Brown's game planning.

'Hack-a-Mitch'

Robinson is a terrific bench player thanks to his strengths, bringing the length and athleticism needed to be an elite contributor around the rim. But by now, it's no secret that he is a terrible free-throw shooter.

After entering this season with a career free-throw percentage of around 50%, Robinson shot just 40.8% from the line in the regular season on 1.7 attempts per game. In the 2026 playoffs, that number has dropped even further to 30.2%. Even with the Knicks' offense looking unstoppable at times in recent weeks, Robinson's shooting woes have led opponents to deploy the "Hack-a-Mitch" strategy to disrupt New York's momentum.

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) May 5, 2026

Now imagine what a 30.2% free-throw shooter will look like with a broken metacarpal in his hand. Things could get even uglier for Robinson at the stripe — and for Brown, that means he'll have to be extremely strategic about when he puts his backup center in the game to face Wembanyama and the Spurs.

On the opposing bench, meanwhile, Mitch Johnson has the ability to send a bad shooter to the free-throw line whenever Robinson is on the floor, if necessary. Especially if the Spurs are trailing in games, that's a significant advantage, knowing that missed Robinson free throws could turn into big swings in San Antonio's favor.

We've already seen teams attempt "Hack-a-Mitch" in these playoffs, but it hasn't mattered with the Knicks' offense otherwise being so dominant. Against an elite Spurs squad, however, Robinson's free-throw shooting struggles could be amplified.

MORE: How the Knicks built their 2026 NBA Finals roster

Guarding Victor Wembanyama

Perhaps the No. 1 reason the Knicks likely want Robinson to play through his hand injury, even if it impacts his performance a bit, is how his size could potentially help neutralize Wembanyama.

It doesn't take much basketball knowledge to understand that in order to slow down a 7-4 player who swats shots constantly on the defensive end, then makes finishes at the rim look easy offensively, you'd want to put your tallest defender on that player. Robinson is exactly that for the Knicks, standing at an even 7-foot as one of the NBA's better shot blockers.

For the Knicks, because Robinson comes off the bench, he won't always factor into the Wembanyama gameplan — among Brown's starters, it's likely he uses some blend of OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Towns against Wembanyama defensively, while also trying to draw him out of the paint on the other end with Towns' elite shooting ability.

However, in those necessary second-unit minutes, Robinson's presence could prove pivotal. He'd already have his hands full trying to defend Wembanyama, as fellow 7-footer Chet Holmgren showed in the Western Conference Finals, but with a hand injury, it becomes more difficult to get fingers on the basketball for blocks.

Still, at the very least, Robinson will be a key player in the Knicks' rotation when it comes to going head-to-head against the Spurs' immediate mismatch of a star. Keep an eye on how Robinson's hand allows him to block shots — or he could get in foul trouble quickly.

Mitchell Robinson practices in San Antonio pic.twitter.com/HH1olqVMjt

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 2, 2026

Finishing at the rim

Robinson's biggest offensive value for the Knicks comes as a lob threat and efficient finisher around the rim. He doesn't offer much as a scorer outside of that role, and while Wembanyama's presence will impact the series regardless, it becomes a major concern for New York if Robinson's injury affects his ability to catch and finish around the basket.

The Knicks not only need Robinson's rim-running ability to help pull Wembanyama away from other shot attempts, but they also need him to capitalize on those opportunities. If he can't effectively fill that role, his poor free-throw shooting could make him difficult to keep on the floor.

Robinson isn't a high-volume scorer, but his work around the basket is essential to New York's offense. If his hand injury limits that aspect of his game, his minutes in the Finals could be significantly reduced, allowing Wembanyama to focus more attention on other Knicks players.

MORE: Looking back at the 'Nova Knicks as college players

Rebounding 

This is Robinson's bread-and-butter — he is arguably one of the 5-to-10 best rebounders in the entire NBA. Even as a backup, when Robinson is in the game, he's capable of grabbing missed shots at an elite rate, both offensively and defensively.

Offensively, Robinson's rebounding skills are a massive advantage at times. One of many reasons for the Knicks' recent dominance has been the combined ability for Josh Hart or Towns to chase long rebounds while Robinson's length allows him to clean the glass, either finding shooters or finishing himself afterward.

In the regular season, per NBA.com, Robinson was fifth in the league with 4.2 offensive rebounds per game and fourth with his 3.2 contested offensive rebounds per game. Against the tallest player in the league, Wembanyama, rebounding becomes critical for an opponent. Robinson's presence on the boards will be needed in the Finals. 

One wouldn't think that a hand/finger injury would impact rebounding too much, but the details of Robinson's pain level also aren't quite known. If he can't be effective on the glass, Robinson either won't be playing much or will be a liability for the Knicks.

Closer look at what Mitchell Robinson had on his hand at Knicks media day shootaround pic.twitter.com/V6o6pr35lZ

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 2, 2026

Knicks' center rotation

In the scenario that Robinson's injury either keeps him out, or causes him to struggle in all the aforementioned areas of the Finals matchup, Brown may be forced to find a new backup center at the most critical point in the Knicks' season.

On one hand, Towns, Hart and Anunoby would likely see even more minutes as New York leans into small ball — but 24-year-old second-year center Ariel Hukporti would be the leading candidate to play in spurts at center off the bench.

Hukporti has appeared in 79 games over his two seasons with the Knicks since being a second-round pick in 2024. He's been a good rebounder, averaging 2.9 per game in 9.2 minutes per game this past regular season, and he's should be a better free-throw shooter than Robinson at 78.8% in the regular season.

However, he's also immensely unproven — and putting Hukporti on the Finals stage, especially to guard Wembanyama, could be a recipe for disaster for the Knicks. For now, New York will be hoping it won't have to go to such drastic measures, and that Robinson can play well enough through his injury to be effective.