As the New York Knicks await their Western Conference opponents in the NBA Finals, a potential injury concern arose regarding their backup big man, Mitchell Robinson.
Reports surfaced via ESPN that Robinson required surgery on a broken right pinkie finger. Immediately, fans worried he might be out for the series, which would be a significant blow to their roster against a stacked, deep opponent.
According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, a well-known Knicks fan and critic, he first learned about Robinson’s injury from hip-hop star DJ Clue texting him.
Smith also sounded off about needing Mitchell to play in the Finals, while speaking to his colleagues, including Jay Williams and Brian Windhorst, on “First Take.”
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“They supposed to be chillin’. You supposed to be getting the treatement. You supposed to be in the cold plunge. You supposed to be in the hyperbaric chambers. You supposed to be in the saunas and everything. You supposed to be getting yourself rested and ready, and this damn Mitchell Robinson with a pinkie,” Smith said, shouting during his rant.
“Let me tell you something, Mitchell Robinson, I’m talking to Mitchell. Robinson, y’all,” he said, looking at the camera and pointing his finger.
“You better play in this damn series. You better play. This is the Finals. I don’t wanna hear about no damn pinkie,” Smith. said.
Smith mentioned former NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, a safety for the San Francisco 49ers, who said they could cut his finger off when he had injured it in football.
The ESPN star admitted that Robinson isn’t a great shooter and only hits 50 percent of his free throws. However, he can rebound effectively and play solid defense in the paint.
“If this brother misses games because of a pinkie, I’m gonna lose it!” Smith reiterated. “Wrap that bad boy up. Splinter it. I don’t give a damn what you gotta do! It’s the Finals!”
“You better play!” You better play!” he shouted, pointing his finger at the camera again in a message to Robinson.
It’s true, New York is definitely going to need every possible body available for whichever team they end up with in the NBA Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are no joke, especially with their big men.
The Thunder have Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein as their main big men, while everyone knows the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama’s game by now. All of those individuals are dominant in the paint and would present a significant task for the Knicks to handle.
They’d need Robinson as an additional big man to throw at Holmgren, Hartenstein, or Wemby, since it can’t be left to starters like Karl-Anthony Towns to handle those tough, game-long matchups and potential fouls. A Shams Charania report suggested that Robinson “fully plans to play” in Game 1.
The drawback to his game is his shaky free-throw shooting, with teams generally sending him to the line when necessary. However, all the Knicks have been able to rest up after reeling off 11 straight wins, including their recent four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
So, Robinson still has some time to recover and prepare his pinkie, as Game 1 of the NBA Finals occurs on Wednesday, June 3.
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