Mitchell Robinson won’t rush his return from the Knicks injury

Rehabilitate of an injury and without an official word on his recovery timeline, Mitchell Robinson expressed optimism about his progress but shied away from suggestions he would have to return urgently.

“Did you see what happened when I rushed to get back?” I was gone again,” Robinson said in a livestream video on social media on Thursday. “At this point I also have to make sure I’m good for life. Come on, now. Let’s not be selfish here. …But we’ll be good. We’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. Promise we’ll be honest.’

Robinson has not spoken to the media since undergoing surgery on his left ankle in May, when the procedure was labeled “minor” with a re-evaluation scheduled in six to eight weeks.

More than five months later, Robinson still has not resumed training and was a DNP for Friday’s home opener against the Pacers.

A source said Robinson is expected to return in December or January, although the situation is fluid and depends on the center’s progress.

“Rehab is going great, I’m not going to lie,” Robinson said. “I’m very proud of the work this week and last week. Good signs. Good signs.”

It’s unclear how Robinson, whose fitness and conditioning took a while to return after previous injuries, suffered a setback or why the recovery timeline became so messy.

Last season, he missed 50 straight games after surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right ankle, an injury serious enough for the Knicks to petition the NBA for a disabled player exception (these were rejected).

About five weeks after his return, Robinson was the target of Joel Embiid’s foul play in the playoffs, left Game 3 in a walking boot, limped through the rest of the series, and was eliminated from the playoffs after missing Game 2 of the missed the second round. .

The subsequent surgery was at least the fourth procedure in three years for Robinson, who broke his right foot and right hand in 2021.

It’s a clue as to why Robinson, 26, referred to his health goal as “for life” in the livestream.

Given the uncertainty surrounding the departures of Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency, the Knicks pushed harder acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns in a September trade that reconfigured the Knicks’ rotation and identity.

Robinson said he “really had no reaction” to the trade but enjoyed Towns’ company.

“He’s a great guy, man,” said Robinson, a 2018 draft pick who is now the longest-tenured Knick at three years. “When I’m in the weight room, he’s in there. Vibes are great. We bumped into that country (music). We’ll work on it in the weight room, just knocking out our workouts.

With Robinson as a catalyst, the Knicks built an identity around their elite rebounding and paint protection over the past two seasons.

Until his first ankle injury in December, Robinson had become easily the NBA’s best offensive rebounder with 5.3 per game, leading the East in that category in 2022-23.

The Knicks continued with that identity when Hartenstein took over. But Towns offers a different style at center, and cleaning the glass could become a weakness with a lineup featuring only one great rebounder for his position: Josh Hart.

Robinson, if healthy, would also represent the Knicks’ top rim protector — another area of ​​concern for Towns.

But Robinson, who often has to deal with pick-and-rolls, said he wants to experiment with pressing as a defender.

Depending on health and how the season goes, the Knicks could start Towns at power forward and Robinson at center.

‘Do you know what I want to try this year? When I’m guarding someone, I’m usually within arm’s reach. Probably like a foot back. I feel like I’m really going to push,” Robinson said. “Because I know that if I guard you, I’ll be fast enough to recover. …I have a little technique and it usually works. I really have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

Robinson cannot show these ‘tricks’ when he is not on the field.

And the center, who has two years left on his contract, said he’s not going to rush that part.