Tom Thibodeau often has referred to Knicks center Mitchell Robinson as the best offensive rebounder in the NBA.
While that remains true — and Robinson somehow has improved on his regular numbers in that category — his overall work on the boards has not gone unnoticed by his coach through the team’s 3-4 start entering Wednesday night’s home game against impressive rookie Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
With no NBA games on the schedule Tuesday for Election Day, the sixth-year center leads the league with 6.4 offensive rebounds per game and ranks fourth in overall rebounding with a career-best average of 12.4 through seven games.
“I think the big thing is it’s not just the offense. He’s added the defensive rebounding, he’s been a monster on the boards,” Thibodeau said Wednesday. “I think he’s the best offensive rebounder, we already established that. And then now he’s fourth in the league in rebounding. Every night he’s got bodies on him and he’s done a great job for us.”
In offensive rebounding, Robinson has grabbed 2.1 more per game than second-place rookie Ausar Thompson of the Pistons (4.3).
His previous career high in overall rebounding was the 9.4 average he finished with in 59 games last season.
“Definitely physicality. Obviously rebounding the ball at an extremely high rate. Offensive rebounding, getting second shots. Protecting the paint, deterring shots, deterring guys from taking shots,” Knicks teammate Josh Hart said of Robinson. “He’s been huge for us and that’s something we’re going to continue to need from him.“I actually said that to him [Tuesday] morning — he adds another element, another dimension to our team that we really need.”
Thibodeau said “everybody practiced” Tuesday in Tarrytown, including RJ Barrett, who scored 26 points in 31 minutes in Monday’s win over the Clippers after missing the previous two games with knee soreness.
The Knicks announced they will celebrate the legacy of former captain Willis Reed on HBCU Night on March 25 at MSG against the Pistons, including the creation of an annual $60,000 scholarship by the Garden of Dreams Foundation to a student attending a historically black college or university.
Reed, who played at Grambling State, was a seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion with the Knicks. He died on March 21.