Center Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks, who hasn’t played since December 8 due to an ankle ailment requiring surgery, made his comeback against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. Having missed over four months of action, he was listed as officially questionable on the team’s injury report prior to the game. For a New York club that has spent the most of the season just surviving the onslaught of injuries it has faced, his return marked the first step towards a healthy postseason roster.

Robinson was the first notable Knicks player to go down, and at the time of his injury, he was maybe having his finest season to date. Early in the season, the Knicks’ defense was bolstered by his excellent rim protection, but it is as an offensive rebounder that he really excels. With 5.3 of them per game this season, Robinson leads the NBA. The Knicks are the only club in the league that places as much emphasis on offensive rebounding; they presently lead the league in this regard, and it appears that their best rebounder will soon return to the court.

That’s a surprising piece of news. The Knicks requested a handicapped player exception from the NBA after Robinson’s original injury, which would have allowed them more leeway to add a replacement. Only in cases where a player is anticipated to miss the remainder of the season are those exceptions made. The Knicks were refused entry into the NBA, and he should be back on the court several weeks before the tournament even starts thanks to his recuperation.
“Mitchell is moving quite well,” Thibodeau remarked prior to the team’s victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday. “He is free to communicate and anything else. He just needs a bit extra time as he is going through practices. But all in all, he’s doing incredibly well.”

Since Robinson was injured, Isaiah Hartenstein has successfully stepped in for him; yet, Robinson’s return is still appreciated because Hartenstein has been limited in his playing time because of an Achilles injury. The Knicks can guarantee that neither has to bear an excessive burden by keeping both of them active.