Mitchell Robinson found out about the Knicks’ latest cast change on Thursday night, while flipping through social media, and he was immediately excited.
The Knicks are happy to have Taj Gibson back to the depth of the court and another veteran presence, but nothing more than Robinson, who used the veteran great man as a mentor on and off the court when they were teammates last season.
“It’s just incredible. I [saw] on Instagram. I was like, ‘We got TG back!’ ”Said Robinson in a Zoom conference call ahead of Friday’s game against Oklahoma City. “This is my guy. I can’t wait to see you come back.
“I learned a lot from Taj last year. I’m sure he [been] working during the summer. I can’t wait for him to come in and show me some news [things] so that I can learn and grow as a player. “
The 1.80m Gibson signed on Thursday night after the team turned down his $ 10 million option in November, although he was not with the Knicks for the game against Thunder due to the COVID-19 protocols. The Knicks also dismissed striker Omari Spellman to create the vacancy in the squad.
Robinson, 22, who set an NBA record with a .742 field goal percentage last season, recorded a 41-minute career record in Wednesday’s comeback win over Utah – the fifth victory of the Knicks in six games.
The 2.13-meter pivot has barely moved until now during their third NBA campaign, but the Knicks have still been weak up front in recent games due to injuries to pivot Nerlens Noel, Spellman and debutant striker Obi Toppin.
Gibson, 34, will provide another great body, in addition to familiarity with coach Tom Thibodeau, for whom he played in Chicago and Minnesota.
“With Taj, he was kind of [the league] for a minute now, so he knows the strings, ”said Robinson. “Having him back, I can learn more. I learned a lot from him last year and I will continue to do so. It’s great.
“Now that Taj is back, Nerlens is going to come back to us one of these days … I think just having both of them will take the burden off me. I can be replaced and get a little more energy inside me. So I can go out there and continue to play hard. “
Robinson committed only two personal fouls on his heavy workload on Wednesday against Jazz. He did not miss – nor was he whistled for more than four fouls – in any of his first eight appearances, they all begin.
“I feel like it’s the coaches,” said Robinson. “Who really wants to sit so much? I am trying to find a way to limit absences. I only had two last games. I was very proud of myself. I will try to continue working and not commit any absences ”.
Second-year point guard RJ Barrett also endorsed Gibson’s return, calling him “a great teammate and a great person to live with”.
“He brings that energy every day,” said Barrett. “He’s always training us, telling us to do the right thing. I am very happy and excited to have you back. “
The Knicks started playing on Friday with a three-game winning streak with a 5-3 record for the season, after opening last year with a 4-18 mark, resulting in the dismissal of coach David Fizdale.
“I think it was great, very important,” said Barrett of the Knicks’ strong start. “It shows us that our work is paying off and our work is good, so we have to keep doing what we are doing and continue to improve each day and just trust the process.”