OKLAHOMA CITY — Knicks rookie center Mitchell Robinson figures to get a warm welcome Friday, when he returns to his hometown of New Orleans for the first time as an NBA player.
In fact, his high school, Chalmette High, will play a matinee game at Smoothie King Arena to honor Robinson’s big moment before the Knicks face the Pelicans.
Robinson told The Post he’s mulling whether to attend the high-school game or rest at his hotel room for his first NBA meeting against Anthony Davis.
However, before New Orleans, Robinson had to get past a brick blue wall named Steven Adams, the Thunder’s muscular center, in a Wednesday night matchup. The slender, 7-foot Robinson already has heard the ribbing from his teammates, including Enes Kanter, who used to back up Adams in OKC.
“They’ve already been teasing him — ‘Come on, you better be ready for this guy, Mitch,’’’ coach David Fizdale said at the morning shoot-around at Chesapeake Arena.
“It’s great for him. This is a basketball 101 right here, with a guy I really respect in Steven Adams. I think he’s one of the more solid centers in this league on both ends of the floor. This is good for Mitchell to have to bang with him, keep him off the glass, defend him in the post, run with him. That’s one of the most impressive things, is his motor. He covers both ends of the floor. He gives all effort. This’ll be great for Mitchell.”Robinson is coming off a Knicks rookie record nine blocks, set versus Orlando on Sunday.
Ostensibly, Kanter and Robinson were part of the Carmelo Anthony trade with OKC. Robinson became the last component of the deal when the Knicks selected him with the 36th pick last June. Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti added the Bulls’ second-round pick to a deal the Knicks won handily.
Even with Fizdale’s lineup shakeup Wednesday, Robinson remained the starting center with Kanter still in a backup role in which he’s thriving. Kanter, who received a standing ovation in his first return to OKC in last year’s season opener, is averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Second-year wing Damyean Dotson was out of the starting lineup to pave the way for Kevin Knox, a move that seemed an eventuality.
Dotson started nine games after Knox went down with an injury. The 2017 second-round pick averaged 11.5 points but looked like he hit a wall against Orlando with a weak effort, putting up all goose eggs at halftime in 12 minutes. But Dotson, a DNP the first two games, still is in the rotation.
“Absolutely,” Fizdale said. “We need his shooting. We cannot afford to not have Dot in the rotation. He’ll still play a lot of minutes, but we struggle with the 3-point ball right now, and that’s not our No. 1 strength, and we’re limited in that area right now, and Dot is one of our shooters. We need him.”
Undrafted rookie Allonzo Trier was making a homecoming of sorts. Though he grew up in Seattle, he spent time in OKC being home-schooled and playing high-school ball in the city, and also a season in nearby Tulsa.
Fizdale said he was unaware of Kristaps Porzingis’ remarks to GQ that his rehab ordeal is “close” to the end and was not privy to its significance.