Mitchell Robinson‘s trainer, Marcell Scott, made a passionate plea on his Instagram story for New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to give his client a license to shoot.
“Offseason is officially over! I can say [Robinson] improved his free-throw shooting, his athleticism is back from him buying into the pool workouts! Mitch has developed a few go-to moves with his back to the basket!!! “Please, Coach Thibs, give him that freedom on the offensive end,” Scott wrote on his Instagram story on September 27.
The Louisiana-based NBA trainer doubled down hours later after his Instagram story went viral.
“I stand on our offseason work. I’m not begging for nothing! I’m just being respectful to a legendary Coach… (Please),” Scott wrote on a separate Instagram story.
Mitchell Robinson’s trainer Marcell Scott follows up on IG: “I stand on our offseason work, I’m not begging for nothing! I’m just being respectful to a legendary Coach…
(Please )”
Scott’s passionate plea stems from Robinson averaging only 9.6% usage rate last season, which only ranks at the second percentile, per Cleaning The Glass.
Robinson’s 4.7 attempts per game last season were exclusively on lobs, dunks and putbacks.
But it was not only Robinson who was an afterthought on the Knicks’ offensive schemes. All of their centers — Isaiah Hartenstein (10.9%) and Jericho Sims (6.6%) — had the lowest usage rates in the team last season.
It’s the way the Knicks play under Thibodeau, who likes his centers to focus on rebounding and protecting the paint and let their guards and wings do the scoring.
Unless Robinson dramatically improves from his career-worst 48.5% free throw shooting last season, Scott’s plea might fall on deaf ears.
Josh Hart’s Instant Reaction to Damian Lillard Trade
Knicks wing Josh Hart was quick to react to the blockbuster trade that rocked the NBA on Wednesday.
Hart quickly invited his former Portland Trail Blazers teammate Damian Lillard, who was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, to spend Christmas at his Westchester home.
Christmas at my house @Dame_Lillard
The Knicks host the new-look Bucks on Christmas at Madison Square Garden.
Hart and Lillard forged a friendship during their brief time playing together in Portland, which abruptly ended when the Trail Blazers shipped Hart to the Knicks before the February trade deadline.
Lakers Legend Interested to Buy Knicks Ownership Stakes
After buying a stake in NFL’s Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson is entertaining the possibility of becoming a part-NBA owner and breaking his loyalty to the purple and gold.
“I think it would be intriguing,” Johnson said in an interview with The Associated Press. “The only team I would actually probably think about is the New York Knicks.”
Johnson would consider buying a minority stake, although he hasn’t spoken about it with Knicks owner James Dolan, who repeatedly said that the Knicks are not for sale.
However, a New York Post report in February revealed Dolan’s company, MSG Sports, is not ruling out selling a minority stake in the Knicks or Rangers.
“That one you would really have to think about, in terms of being a minority owner of that team,” Johnson told AP. “But other than that, I would just stay with the Lakers and even with my role now, just being a fan, I’m happy just doing that with the Lakers because, again, I bleed purple and gold.”
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Mitchell Robinson’s Trainer Makes Passionate Plea to Knicks Coach Tom Thibodeau