There may not be a team that has suffered as much bad luck in the NBA as the New York Knicks in the last few weeks when it comes to the injury department. Starting center Mitchell Robinson was announced out less than two weeks ago because of ankle surgery, with his last appearance being December 8th against the Boston Celtics.
Five games later, the team also lost backup center Jericho Sims to an ankle sprain. Sims injured his ankle during the jump ball to start the game against the Los Angeles Lakers when he landed on the foot of Anthony Davis.
That has put a lot of pressure on Isaiah Hartensten, who is logging more minutes now than he has at any point in his career. Veteran Taj Gibson, who wasn’t on an NBA roster to begin the season, was brought in and is working his way into game shape.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims, Taj Gibson, Isaiah Hartenstein, New York Knicks Updates
Unfortunately for the Knicks, it could be the Hartensten/Gibson/Sims show for a long time. There is a chance we may not see Robinson back on the court until next season. That is because, according to Shams Charania, the Knicks have applied to the NBA for a Disabled Player Exeception worth $7.8 million.
A team can apply for the exception when they believe a player will be sidelined for the remainder of a season. The Knicks are projecting that and NBA doctors will go through a review as well.
This is brutal news for Robinson and the Knicks. When he was first ruled out, the timetable for his return was 8-10 weeks. Alas, the injury must have been worse than originally reported, as an application for the exception signals that he will not be back until after the 2023-24 league year ends.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims, Taj Gibson, Isaiah Hartenstein, New York Knicks Updates
Robinson was in the midst of arguably the best season of his career. He was a one-man wrecking crew on the offensive glass, as he was on a record-setting pace. As the anchor to the Knicks’ defense, their entire scheme has to change on that end of the court as well.
Things are complicated further for the Knicks as they are operating with a hard-cap after signing Donte DiVincenzo this offseason. That limits their options on the trade market, but expect them to explore some frontcourt additions in the near future to attempt to replace Robinson in the lineup.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
Interested in reading the latest storylines and analysis in the NFL? Check out our partner NFL Analysis Network.
