The Knicks will not enter the upcoming NBA season at full strength. Big man Mitchell Robinson is expected to be out until at least December or January as he continues to recover from ankle surgery he had in May, per Yaron Weitzman. Robinson underwent surgery during the playoffs to repair a stress fracture in his left ankle, and was initially expected to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season. However, the big man has yet to fully recover from the surgery, and will miss the first couple months of the season.
Robinson's absence is going to be a tough blow for a Knicks team that is already rather thin in the frontcourt with the departure of Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency this summer. The lack of depth at center was the biggest question facing the Knicks heading into the season, and now that Robinson is expected to miss some time, it makes it the focal point as the season nears.
Precious Achiuwa will likely slide into the starting spot, and Jericho Sims will surely see an uptick in minutes from last season with Robinson sidelined. We could also see Tom Thibodeau go to small-ball rotations with Julius Randle or OG Anunoby serving as the biggest player on the court for the Knicks for certain stretches of the game.
As much as it is a blow for the Knicks, it's a really unfortunate development for Robinson, who has had surgery on the same ankle twice in the last 12 months. Robinson originally underwent ankle surgery in December 2023, and was expected to miss the remainder of the season. He managed to return in March, and then re-injured the ankle in the second-round playoff series against the Pacers. The initial timeline from the May surgery was supposed to be 6-8 weeks, but it appears there's been some setbacks in his recovery process. It's just the latest in what's been a string of injuries for Robinson, who has managed to play in 70 games just once in his six seasons in the league.
The Knicks don't want to rush Robinson back from his rehab process, and want to ensure he's 100% healthy before he returns. So while the timeline right now is December or January, it's clear the Knicks are keeping that loose to see how his recovery goes.