Mitchell Robinson takes big step toward being Knicks rim enforcer again

Miami’s Duncan Robinson dribbled around a screen that created space and might have driven into the lane — but Karl-Anthony Towns loomed toward the top of the paint.So he tried his second option, Bam Adebayo rolling off that screen and toward the hoop.

Robinson passed to Adebayo, who came to a stop just inside the free-throw line because Towns jumped onto him and Mitchell Robinson loomed behind.With nowhere to go, Adebayo tried for a cutting Kel’el Ware, but Robinson’s long arms knocked the ball away for one of the Knicks’ 12 steals on the night.“When you have two 7-footers out there,” head coach Tom Thibodeau would say later, “if you get by one, you’ve got another waiting at the rim.“I think that has a huge impact on the game.”Eight games into his season, Robinson’s impact has begun being felt.Among several positive developments from Monday’s win over the Heat was Robinson playing 20 minutes in a game for the first time this season.

Off the court for about 10 months following ankle surgery, the defensively excellent center has begun looking like himself.In his 23:43 of court time Monday, Robinson did a little bit of everything on a night in which he scored 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting with nine rebounds (five offensive), two steals, two blocks and an assist.Less concrete was the number of Heat drives he canceled with his presence.“I think the rim protection,” Thibodeau said in beginning his lengthy list of encouraging signs from Robinson, “his ability to get out on the perimeter, defend pick-and-rolls, challenge shots, cover a lot of ground and make a second or third effort to be up on a pick-and-roll and still get back to rebound and change shots.

You’re seeing more and more multiple-effort plays from him.I think his timing is coming around.

“He’s moving great.He feels great.”That last part might be most important.

Robinson has been rehabbing injuries repeatedly since 2021, from hand and foot fractures to ankle surgerie...