As it turns out, the Knicks aren’t fully healthy.
Mitchell Robinson suffered a broken pinky on his right shooting hand, sources confirmed Thursday night, and there is no timetable for his return.
It’s a tough blow for the Knicks as they practice at their facility in Tarrytown, waiting for their opponent in the NBA Finals — either the Thunder or the Spurs.
It’s unclear when or how the Robinson suffered the injury, or whether he’s out for the NBA Finals or could possibly play with the fractured finger.
Depending on the severity of the fracture, Robinson could play through the injury if he can deal with the pain, according to Dr. Samir Sohda, Assistant professor at Hackensack University Medical Center and chief of hand surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center.
“It all depends on the severity of the fracture and where the fracture is in the digit,” Sohda said. “There are some fractures that may need pinning, maybe even plate and screws, depending on the severity of the fracture. If it’s a minor fracture, we call it an avulsion fracture. Still a fracture, still hurts, but technically it’s a stable fracture where you’re able to just tape the fingers, not cast, and play.”
Sohda said it is hard to read anything into what the lack of a timetable means.
“It can mean two things: one, they are seeking others opinions, which is more ominous, or two, if it was that obvious, he would have had surgery already,” he said. “It could mean both ways.”
If he’s out, it’s potentially a big problem for the Knicks. The 28-year-old represents New York’s biggest player and best rebounder, especially on the offensive glass. Without him, the Knicks only have two centers — Karl-Anthony Towns — who is a fantastic offensive talent and defensive rebounder but susceptible to foul trouble — and Ariel Hukporti — a second-year player who logged sparse minutes in the regular season and playoffs.
Robinson missed Game 2 of the 76ers series and Hukporti filled in for him, playing seven minutes in the team’s 108-102 win. He scored two points and grabbed three rebounds — but also committed four fouls.
Robinson’s presence provides the Knicks the ability to deal with either San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama or OKC’s frontcourt of Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren.
“Mitch is unique, so no matter who we play, Mitch is extremely important to what we’re trying to do, the way he offensive rebounds, the way he’s a vertical threat in the pick-and-roll game, the way he protects the rim, his versatility guarding,” coach Mike Brown said during the playoffs. “All that stuff is extremely important for us in this series. We need him to bring it at a high level, as well as everybody else.”
Robinson was coming off one of his better playoff performances in Monday’s closeout win over the Cavaliers, when he had 10 rebounds and eight points.
Robinson did not speak to the media but was in good spirits, having quickly dressed and ready to leave with food before the media was allowed in the locker room.
“I love y’all, but I’m trying to go,” he said.
Most of Robinson’s playoffs have been a roller coaster, however, defined by poor foul shooting.
Opposing teams have deployed Hack-A-Mitch with more regularity, keeping Robinson’s minutes down because he’s schemed off the court.
He is shooting just 30 percent from the charity stripe in the playoffs. During the conference finals, he acknowledged struggles with mental health.
“I’m deleting all apps for a little while until I can get back to myself,” Robinson posted to social media during the conference finals. “I had a very upsetting experience a few days ago. I’m not gonna go into detail about it, just gonna focus on the playoffs and myself.
“I know some of you have called and texted and it popped up green. That’s because I got a new [phone] number. My mental health is not the best right now but I am fighting to get back on track while playing on the biggest stage in the world in the Eastern Conference finals.”
Robinson will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer as the only player in New York’s top seven operating on an expiring contract.
The Robinson news is an eerie coincidence for the Knicks, who were absent another center due to injury — in this case, a star one in Patrick Ewing — in their last NBA Finals appearance in 1999. They lost in five games to the Spurs.
