Not good look for mitchell robinson selecting his 6 nba agent in his third season something is up with that.
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Mitchell Robinson enters Knicks season with new agent, desire to start
By Marc BermanDecember 5, 2020 | 2:50pm | Updated
Consider this: Mitchell Robinson, entering his third season, already has had six more agents than 3-point shot attempts.
The running tally is 6-0.
Robinson has fired his latest rep — superagent Rich Paul, who represents LeBron James, Anthony Davis — according to an NBA source.
In a Twitter post Friday night, the Los Angeles-based Wasserman Group announced it will take on the enigmatic 7-foot center whom the Knicks would like to build around if they can. According to a source, Wasserman’s Thad Foucher and Joe Smith will work with Robinson, 22.
According to past agents, Robinson, who dropped out of Western Kentucky before fall classes, was difficult to communicate with via text. There’s also been rumblings of his family wanting to be heavily involved.
Robinson’s agent roster started with David Lee before the draft and moved on to Raymond Brothers, John Spencer and Mayar Zokaei. Then Robinson landed with Paul after the season.
Paul told The Post last spring that Robinson still is learning the NBA game.
“His growth comes with understanding how to play the game at this level,’’ Paul said. “That’s what’s misunderstood with young players. At this level, talent will get you only so far. You have to understand schemes defensively, very detailed things like the art of setting screens, the art in decision-making as a big man in how you roll. What passes to look for, proper defensive adjustments. “It’s a lot of things to learn. Once he’s able to learn those things, he’ll then be in position to showcase other talents he has.’’
Maybe the sixth rep will be the charm. In a Zoom interview before it was known about his release from Paul, Robinson sounded excited about the season.
According to a source, the Knicks were disappointed Robinson, their 2018 second-round pick, didn’t show up to Tarrytown earlier to start working with the new coaches. The first official practice is Sunday.
Yet there is still a ton of hope for Robinson, who isn’t a free agent until 2021 but can sign an extension next summer. Knicks GM Scott Perry, who drafted Robinson, feels he has a chance to turn into a very special player — already a terrific shot-blocker with a knack for alley-oop dunks and putback slams.
“Oh man, Year 3, it’s going to be amazing,’’ Robinson said. “ Year 3 is just going to be, I feel like a better me, actually. Just work extra hard, help my teammates.’’
“I feel like it’s going to be a great year for us. Everybody coming in with the right attention. I just feel like everybody’s going to work hard and we all are going to get better as a team so therefore when it’s time for us to play I feel like we’re going to be good from the start.”
When new coach Tom Thibodeau spoke on Dec. 1, his praise for Robinson was tamped down, admitting the talented prospect has “a long way to go.’’ Thibodeau invoked the name of new signee Nerlens Noel as a big center addition. Noel, 26, and Robinson will fight for the starting berth
According to a source, Jeff Van Gundy, a trusted Thibodeau ally, didn’t have a good first impression of Robinson when Robinson was on the U.S. Select team that scrimmaged Team USA’s World Cup squad in 2019.
Robinson had a minor knee injury and sat most of the week of scrimmages.
Asked how his conversations with Thibodeau are going, Robinson said, “They’ve been all right. We talk here and there. After every workout we usually talk. He’s just been giving me what his expectations are. The best way I can learn is just talk to him.
“That’s one of my strengths, defense. [Thibodeau] coming along that’s going to help me a lot, help me, help our guys out.”
Robinson, Taj Gibson’s backup last season, knows the center job is up for grabs with Noel.
“I’m fairly certain he wants to start, I want to start,’’ Robinson said. “We’re just going to go at each other.”
The key lapse in Robinson’s offensive game is reluctance to take a jump shot. He launched just three in his second season and still hasn’t attempted a 3-pointer. He posted a multitude of videos shooting 3s during the pandemic.
“Me coming out shooting 3s isn’t the only thing I want to do, but it helps us out,’’ Robinson said.
Even without a jumper, Robinson managed to set the NBA single-season record for field-goal percentage at 74.2 percent, topping the late, great Wilt Chamberlain.
“It felt great,’’ Robinson said. “A lot of people gave me props for that. One of the best players to ever do it, Wilt Chamberlain. For me to do that, I wish I could’ve met. Unfortunately I didn’t. It’s just amazing to me.’’
12/5/2020 4:23 PM
