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New York Knicks injured center Mitchell Robinson went offline on his social media after posting his concerning post about his mental health.
“My mental health [has] been giving me hell [in] the past few weeks. So, I’m going to be [offline] from social media for a while until I get myself back. I appreciate everyone who supports me on my journey. All love,” Robinson’s last Snapchat post said that was picked up by Knicks Muse on X (formerly Twitter).
The Knicks’ starting center is currently recuperating from an ankle surgery. His team has applied to the NBA for a Disabled Player Exception worth $7.8 million (half of Robinson’s annual salary) as they fear his recovery will cause him to miss the rest of the season.
It is not the first time that Robinson hinted at struggling with his mental health.
After his injury on December 8 last year, he also posted a similarly-themed post on Snapchat.
“[I’ve] Been battling stuff my whole life; some days I feel like I take 10 steps ahead, and others feel like I took 20 steps back; even when I do what I’m supposed to, God throws these battles at me that feel like they’re unbeatable no matter what I do. I know I shouldn’t be letting this stuff get to my mental but over time it just takes over,” Robinson shared in December.
Isaiah Hartenstein Flourishes in Mitchell Robinson’s Absence
The Knicks are 10-6 since Robinson went down with his latest injury.
In his absence, his backup Isaiah Hartenstein, who is also his best friend on the team, has stepped up.
As the Knicks’ new starting center, Hartenstein had been producing solid numbers: 10.6 rebounds, 8.2 points and 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.8 blocks.
During the Knicks’ current five-game winning streak, Hartenstein even upped his performance, averaging 13.6 rebounds, 9.4 points, 2.8 assists, 2.4 steals and 2.6 blocks.
“[I’ve learned] That I can play this role. I’ve always had the confidence that I could play but I was never really in that situation. Before I finished games but now I’m consistently playing 30-plus minutes,” Hartenstein said after an epic performance against Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert that ignited their hot streak.
Hartenstein is set to become an unrestricted free agent which puts the Knicks in a tricky situation in the offseason. Robinson is on the second season of a $60 million, four-year deal.
Will they keep both centers? If Hartenstein becomes expensive, will they choose to keep him over his best friend?
OG Anunoby Makes History
The Knicks five-game winning streak coincided with the arrival of OG Anunoby via trade.
Anunoby’s impact has been immortalized in NBA history as the first and only NBA player in history to post a cumulative plus-minus above 100 in his first five games with a franchise, per stats guru and Substacker Tommy Beer.
“There are a million stats. To me though, the most important stat is net rating and the impact that he’s had there and when you look at his net rating per 48, it’s off the charts,” Thibodeau said. “And that’s playing well because it’s not only you. It’s what you’re doing with the group that you’re on the floor with, and that’s the most important thing there is.”
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