There was not one but two surgeries last season for Mitchell Robinson, who first injured his right hand before foot surgery knocked him out for the campaign.
Six months after going under the knife a second time, the Knicks center is eager to test his new-look body.
“I want someone to hit me in the chest,” Robinson said with a smile at Knicks practice in Tarrytown on Thursday.
His pecs will have to wait a while for the bruising, though. Robinson has used his time away from the court to put on weight, but the wait for his return to the court continues.
The 23-year-old has been working out away from his teammates, saying he has been jogging (but not sprinting) and hopping on two feet. Foot injuries can be a big problem for big men, and there is no clear timetable for Robinson to play his first game since March 27.
“When he’s ready, he’s ready,” coach Tom Thibodeau said at their third practice of training camp. “I think it’s important for us to have the big picture in mind with him.”
The team has said there has not been a setback for Robinson, who is no longer in a walking boot and looks more solid than he ever has in his three seasons with the Knicks.
Which he will tell you. He was not sure about how much weight he has gained, but he flexed multiple times in about a six-minute news conference. At one point he looked down and announced, “I look great.”
The application of that weight to the court could be significant when he has to bang against centers like Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Atlanta’s Clint Capela, who had his way with the Knicks in the playoffs last season. Robinson said he won’t “be pushed around” like he has at times in the past.
The 2018 second-round pick said he has been a bit resistant to devoting himself to the weight room in the past — he just wanted to go shoot. But that was difficult after he fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot.
“I’ve seen a big change. I fell in love with [weight lifting],” said Robinson, one of the league’s premier shot-blockers, who swatted 1.5 shots per game last season. “Now I can’t stay out of the weight room. It’s crazy.”
The vision of a stronger, more physical low-post presence who plays excellent defense in Thibodeau’s system — and who will be especially motivated in a contract season — is an enticing one for the Knicks.
But an elusive one.
“We just want to make sure it’s completely healed,” said Thibodeau, whose Knicks begin the season Oct. 20 against the Celtics. “When you’ve been out the amount of time [he has], he’s got to get conditioning up to speed first, and so that’s really the first step. And then once that happens, then it will be clear to do more and more practice.”
The Knicks do not appear to be in a rush with Nerlens Noel able to start if Mitchell is not ready.
The three-year deal the Knicks gave Noel also provides some leverage in possible contract negotiations with Mitchell, who has missed significant time in his Knicks tenure but also been a legitimate find by GM Scott Perry.
For his part, Robinson said he’s not worried about his contract and deferred to his agent, and the two will talk about it “in time.”
It will benefit everyone if the Knicks see Robinson return and continue to take steps he began last year. It is on the defensive end where Thibodeau said he saw the greatest growth from his 7-footer last season.
“The rim intimidation — guys are looking to see where he is, and I think his discipline has improved greatly,” Thibodeau said. “He’s not recklessly just flying all over the place.”
Perhaps in a few months his play will have swelled a deal the Knicks or someone else will give him, having emerged as a two-way threat whose offensive game, with some added heft, catches up to his electric defense.
Or perhaps a player who has played just 158 games in three seasons again will struggle to show off, on the court, a changed body he is proud of.
