Jalen Brunson will not pretend eight years in New York disappeared because Mitchell Robinson changed uniforms.
The New York Knicks captain remains happy for his former teammate, even if Robinson’s decision to join the Boston Celtics placed him on the other side of the NBA’s most enduring rivalry.
“Obviously, playing for a rival and I know people want every team to hate each other,” Brunson told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “But there are some people you really care for and that’s my guy.”
Then Brunson drew the boundary expected of a defending champion.
“I’m happy for him,” he said. “And now, whenever we play him — four times a year — he’s not my friend that day.”
Robinson became the lone player from the Knicks’ championship rotation to leave during the offseason. His departure was driven largely by money, according to the Post, as New York attempted to preserve its core without crossing the spending threshold owner James Dolan wanted the franchise to avoid.
That Robinson landed in Boston made an already painful departure more complicated.
Mitchell Robinson’s Value Went Beyond His Minutes
Robinson’s injuries, free-throw struggles and limited shooting range made him an imperfect player. They also obscured the singular skill that made him essential to New York’s championship run.
James L. Edwards III of The Athletic described Robinson as “statistically one of the greatest offensive rebounders of all time” while explaining why his departure represents a significant loss.
The Knicks finished the regular season ranked 11th in field-goal percentage and fourth in 3-point percentage. They were already an efficient offensive team before accounting for the extra possessions Robinson created.
When New York missed, Robinson frequently kept the possession alive.
The Knicks led all playoff teams with 17.6 second-chance points per game during their championship run. Robinson averaged a team-high 2.6 offensive rebounds per game in the postseason, allowing an already potent offense to generate second and sometimes third opportunities.
“Essentially, when Robinson was on the floor, New York wasn’t leaving the offensive end of the court without points, whether on their first, second or third shot attempt,” Edwards wrote.
His value extended to the other end. Robinson protected the rim and possessed enough mobility to survive switches onto perimeter players. That combination made him difficult to replace because few centers can control the offensive glass, deter shots at the rim and defend in space.
The Knicks selected Robinson with the No. 36 pick in the 2018 NBA draft. He developed into their longest-tenured player and one of the few remaining connections to the franchise Brunson joined in 2022.
Robinson never needed plays called for him. His production came from screening, rebounding, finishing around the basket and creating possessions that did not appear in traditional scoring totals.
Andre Drummond Faces Difficult Job Replacing Robinson in Knicks’ Second Unit
New York signed Andre Drummond to back up Karl-Anthony Towns and replace some of Robinson’s rebounding.
Drummond is also one of the most productive rebounders in NBA history. The Knicks found an experienced center capable of addressing the same general need at a considerably lower price.
He is not a direct replacement.
As Edwards noted, Drummond is no longer the same player he was four or five seasons ago. He can still rebound, provide physicality and handle regular-season minutes behind Towns, but Robinson offered greater mobility and defensive versatility at this stage of their careers.
That distinction could matter in the playoffs, where opponents force traditional centers to defend in space and repeatedly attack unfavorable matchups.
The financial implications extend beyond one reserve center. New York must prepare for contract decisions involving Towns, Josh Hart, Miles McBride and eventually Brunson. Keeping every member of the title roster was never realistic under the NBA’s restrictive second-apron system.
Robinson became the first meaningful casualty of that calculation.
Mitchell Robinson Adds Another Layer to Celtics Rivalry
Robinson now gives Boston a player intimately familiar with New York’s personnel, terminology and postseason habits.
He knows where Brunson prefers to operate, how the Knicks organize their late-game offense and which actions they use to free Towns. New York, meanwhile, understands Robinson’s limitations better than any opponent.
The Knicks can pull him away from the basket by involving Towns in pick-and-pop actions. Robinson can respond by punishing smaller lineups on the offensive glass and placing another formidable rim protector between Brunson and the basket.
The Knicks and Celtics will meet four times during the regular season. Their status as Eastern Conference contenders creates the possibility of a more consequential reunion in the playoffs.
Brunson will probably greet Robinson before those games and embrace him after them.
For the 48 minutes between, his message was unmistakable: Robinson is still his guy—just not while wearing Celtics green.