OKLAHOMA CITY
When the Knicks went all-in for their championship aspirations, dealing away their treasure chest of assets, they assembled what they believed would be one of the best starting lineups in the NBA. But as they approach the playoffs, it may be the longest-tenured holdovers on the roster coming off the bench that could hold the key to just how far they can go.
Sunday night Deuce McBride, the second-longest tenured member of the team, returned from more than two months on the sideline rehabbing, giving the Knicks back their leading bench scorer. And perhaps even more important is the continued growth of the Knicks player who has been here longer than anyone else, preceding the entire turnaround of the organization from a lottery team to a contender, Mitchell Robinson.
While Robinson has provided the usual defense and rebounding as elite as any player in the league, he has also shown some signs of age and maturity. It’s a show of leadership from the player who, in his years in New York, has gone from a shy rookie to the comic relief on the roster to a player now trying to be a vocal leader as he sees a shot at a title.
Robinson’s most notable words have come in response lately to the team’s sometimes inconsistent performances, looking like a championship-ready team some nights and then a first-round postseason exit looming on other nights. And the difference might be that he has been healthy and, for the most part, available.
“I’ve been here the longest, had three, four different coaches by now,” Robinson said. “Most of our guys have been in the playoffs, too, so they know what’s to come.
“The guys are starting to trust me a lot more. They’re putting trust in me, so I’m telling them what I see and things that I think we can get better at. Being more vocal, it’s coming naturally. The guys mentioned a few times, I’m the anchor of the defense. They trust me on the defensive end. That helps a lot.”
Fittingly, Sunday night gave Robinson a chance to face off against his former teammate and friend, Isaiah Hartenstein, for the first time since Hartenstein departed as a free agent in the summer of 2024. Hartenstein was the other half of an odd couple when they were together. He is a vocal and tenacious player on both ends while Robinson spent much of their time together working through injuries and not having nearly the impact he has now.
But more than just maybe imparting a lesson on using his voice on the court and off, Hartenstein can provide Robinson with an example of what can come. Hartenstein left New York for a huge payday in Oklahoma City and also has now won an NBA title. The Knicks and Robinson will have a huge decision to make after this season with unrestricted free agency looming.
“Yeah, I think it was a little difficult [for Robinson when they were together],” Hartenstein said. “He was going through a lot of injuries. He was going through a lot of different stuff, so it’s sometimes hard to be a vocal leader in that aspect. So it’s good. I think the main thing, him being healthy is the biggest thing, getting more of a rhythm. That’s kind of what I’ve seen this year. Sometimes when you’re in and out you lose a little bit of rhythm.
“I mean, at the end of the day he’s his own person. Yeah, we talked a lot. I think we were kind of at the same level in our career age-wise and experience-wise. So it was kind of like, we would talk to each other when we saw certain things. But I wasn’t going to try to change him.”
The Knicks are still waiting on the return of Landry Shamet, who missed his fourth straight game Sunday as he deals with a right knee tibial plateau contusion. But the return of McBride puts them in position to figure out just who will be a part of the postseason rotation. McBride, Robinson and Jordan Clarkson seem like the sure things right now with Shamet and Mo Diawara also seeing time.
“[McBride] is going to play,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “And we can go a lot of different ways. That’s what makes this pretty interesting. Jordan’s been playing well. Mo’s been playing well for a young guy most of the season. Sometimes it may be dictated or predicated based on matchups, who we throw in the game. I told all our guys you’ve just got to stay ready.”
With the pieces in place, the Knicks just might have the depth for a deep run — and give Robinson something to shout about.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
