Mitchell Robinson set to return to action tonight

Ladies and gentlemen, the wait is over.

After missing 50 games of action, Mitchell Robinson will return to the floor tonight for the New York Knicks. Robinson was upgraded to questionable earlier this morning, and is now expected to be available to play tonight, per Woj.

If you recall, Robinson was in the midst of perhaps his best professional season yet when he went down with an ankle injury. Through 21 games, Robinson was averaging career highs in minutes and rebounds, keeping his fouls way down, and had blossomed into one of (if not the) best offensive rebounders in the entire league.

Despite only averaging 6.2 points per game, Robinson was offering elite rim protection and rebounding. He averaged 10.3 rebounds per game, and paired that with strong defensive production, totaling 1.3 blocks and 1.5 steals per outing as well. His offensive game had slipped a bit, but was on pace to be the second player to average at least 5.3 offensive boards per game this century, with only Andre Drummond as company.

In the midst of Robinson’s injury, Isaiah Hartenstein slid into the starting lineup for the first time in his NBA career. I-Hart flourished in a starting role, posting 8 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. It remains to be seen who Coach Thibs keeps in the starting lineup, but the two now will combine for an elite 48-minute punch at the center spot in the New York rotation.

Now in his sixth NBA season, Robinson has only appeared in more than 70 games once in his NBA career, and his durability remains a serious question. With that said, as the Knicks prepare for a playoff push, a healthy Robinson is imperative for a New York team looking to make a run. A few games to tune up should go a long way for Mitch, and the fan favorite looks to be back in form as we approach the postseason.