If there is one word that has followed Mitchell Robinson around in his professional career, it has been “promise.” The prospect of him developing into an anchor in the paint along the lines of Rudy Gobert, or the potential he has to switch on smaller players and affect their shots at the rim. Mitchell Robinson’s ceiling for a center has always been sky high, and there may be some untapped potential remaining in the 23-year-old center. Head coach Tom Thibodeau has scaled back the minutes of veterans Taj Gibson and Nerlens Noel, and perhaps fans will see the best Robinson has to offer as the Knicks’ regular season continues.
Mitchell Robinson – Childhood
Mitchell Robinson’s story begins in Pensacola, Florida in 1998. He has fond memories of his grandmother, Marilyn Thomas, raising him in the early days, and still thinks about the impact she had on him to this day. Not only did she care for young Mitchell in those days; but she also looked after six other of her grandchildren as they grew up together in Florida.
Despite becoming a talented NBA player down the line, Robinson was not really immersed in the game of basketball as a kid. It wasn’t until his late middle school years that he became interested in basketball. However, once he started to play in the eighth grade, Robinson became infatuated with the sport.
What school did Mitchell Robinson go to?
He started his high school career at Pine Forest High School, but would not be there for too long. Robinson’s mother had moved to Louisiana around his sophomore year but would come back to Pensacola during that time to be with her son. However, he moved to Louisiana with his mom before the start of his junior year and transferred to Chalmette High School in his new home area.
It was as an upperclassman there that Robinson’s profile, and impact, began to take off. His defensive numbers were off the charts with Chalmette, to the tune of 13.6 rebounds per game, a mind-blowing 8.1 blocks per game, and 2 steals per game. He was also a force on the offensive end of the floor, averaging nearly 21 points per game.
Due to his immense contributions, the school made it to postseason play for the first time in eight years. Chalmette’s coach Butch Stockton recalled how much work Robinson put in his game, and was very proud of what his former star player would go on to achieve. While at the school, he received all-state recognition and blossomed into one of the prized recruits in the country.
Where did Mitchell Robinson play college basketball?
Coming out of high school, Robinson’s stock was very high. According to ESPN’s top prospect rankings for the 2017 class, he was ranked higher than players like Trae Young and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and just behind players like Jaren Jackson Jr. The race was on to woo one of the most tantalizing big men in the nation, and there was no shortage of suitors knocking on Robinson’s door.
He had offers from teams in virtually every college basketball power conference, so the choice was going to come down to where Robinson felt most comfortable. CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated, among other outlets, reported that his official commitment was with Texas A&M out of the Big 12. It was a sensible choice, considering that he could form a lethal “twin towers” combination with Robert Williams (now of the Boston Celtics). Additionally, the program had developed DeAndre Jordan a decade earlier and was close to his Louisiana home base.
However, things took a pretty unexpected turn. Several months after it looked like he would definitely play for the Aggies, it was announced that Robinson decided to de-commit from the program. Most assumed that this would lead the big-time recruit to join an even more hallowed program; he was, after all, commanding the attention of traditional NCAA blue blood.
In another wild turn of events, Robinson announced that he would be attending Western Kentucky, to play for coach Rick Stansbury. It was a surprising choice, to say the least. The Hilltoppers hired Robinson’s godfather, former NBA player Shammond Williams, which was believed to be a factor in the prospect’s decision to go there. While Robinson would be a big fish in a relatively small pond, he could have been the type of player to drag a mid-major to relevancy, which is commendable.
As it turned out, Robinson never did step foot on the court for Western Kentucky. During the summer of 2017, it was reported that he temporarily could not be found by the program, when they looked for him on campus. The young center went back home to Louisiana without informing the team allegedly, and they decided to suspend him.
Robinson was reportedly having second thoughts about playing for the Hilltoppers. The program would eventually grant permission for him to transfer, but he decided to forgo playing college basketball altogether. Instead, he would spend the year getting ready for the 2018 NBA Draft. It ended one of the most bizarre displays of indecisiveness and timelines in recent college basketball recruiting history.
Mitchell Robinson – New York Knicks
The roller-coaster ride involving Robinson’s college recruiting certainly hurt his NBA Draft stock. Had he played at either Texas A&M or Western Kentucky, it is very likely that he would’ve been selected in the first round in 2018. As it turned out, the former Chalmette high school star slipped into the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft and was selected by the New York Knicks. While his physical talent was undeniable, there were a lot of questions surrounding his commitment to the sport, and how he would adjust essentially coming to the NBA straight out of high school.
As was expected, the raw talent was used sporadically to start his rookie season. His first game came on October 17, 2018, against the Atlanta Hawks, where he played just over a minute and recorded two points. In an early-season game against the Orlando Magic, he showed out with nine blocks in just 22 minutes of action. The Knicks had a disastrous campaign in Robinson’s rookie year, which allowed the franchise to shift in the direction of youth player development. With more rope to play within the season’s final two months, he posted nine double-doubles and collected 21 rebounds in a game against the Toronto Raptors.
He would go on to appear in 61 games in his second year in New York, but curiously only started seven games in another lost year for the Knicks. Coaches David Fizdale and Mike Miller felt compelled to start the veteran Taj Gibson, even if he only would end up playing a few minutes.
However, Robinson’s professional career in New York has been filled with starts and stops. He’s done a much better job of avoiding foul trouble that plagued him early on but has suffered nagging injuries that prevent him from getting into a rhythm.
Robinson has already missed time this season due to at least two sprained left ankle injuries. During last season’s Knicks run to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, he missed the stretch run due to foot surgery and was not able to appear in their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks.
Mitchell Robinson – NBA Future
There are a lot of different directions in which Mitchell Robinson’s career can go. He’s an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of this season. His market is going to be very interesting. While it doesn’t seem like he can be the star center some hoped he would be coming into the NBA, he definitely brings a lot of effective contributions on defense. Although the league has shifted away from the traditional center play in the last decade, centers might be making a small comeback. The presence of Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and DeAndre Ayton as offensive forces means that teams will need adequate defenders to try and stop them. Robinson would be a solid option for most franchises in that department.
Is Mitchell Robinson injured?
The value of his next contract might be depressed by the notion that he is always one play away from a serious ankle injury, but should still receive multiple multi-year contract offers. There’s a chance he might return to the Knicks if his price point does not balloon over the summer.
Where did Mitchell Robinson play college basketball?
Robinson initially opted to play college basketball at Texas A&M, but then changed his mind and chose to join his coach Rick Stansbury at Western Kentucky.
