Knicks (Sans Mitch Rob) Lose Third Straight

I was hoping New York would rely less on drop coverage and switch screens more frequently, especially with Sims in the lineup... It didn't happen

The Knicks announced Thursday that Mitchell Robinson underwent surgery to repair a fractured right thumb and would be re-evaluated in three weeks. 

Three weeks from Thursday is February 9, which means Mitch Rob will miss at least ten games. And New York plays just four more games between Feb. 9 and the All-Star Break. Thus, it's probably safe to assume the Knicks will err on the side of caution and keep Robinson sidelined through the ASB, giving his thumb an extra nine full days to heal (New York's first game after the break is Feb. 24). Consequently, the Knicks are likely looking at 14 games without their best defensive player. 

As I have noted over the past few weeks, it's difficult to overstate Robinson's importance to this team. With Mitch Rob on the court this season, the Knicks score 118.0 points per 100 possessions and allow just 109.7 points. That's a Net Rating of +8.2, the best on the team by far (IQ ranks second at +6.0). With Robinson on the bench, NY allows 112.5 points per 100 possessions.  

Knicks fans started dreading significant slippage on the defensive end once they got word Robinson would be out, and their worst nightmares became reality Friday night in the ATL.