Knicks Notes: Robinson, Brown, Bridges, Ring Fiasco
Mitchell Robinson visited his old friends in the Knicks’ locker room before Friday night’s game, but he’s not having any trouble accepting the circumstances that led to him signing with the Celtics this summer, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Robinson was the longest-tenured player on the roster and a popular figure in the locker room for last season’s champs. He was also one of the league’s best backup centers, but New York didn’t have a way to keep him without going into second-apron territory, which owner James Dolan called “suicidal.” The Knicks never made him an offer to Robinson before the Celtics came calling in free agency.
“They didn’t want me?” he said. “Yeah. That’s what it felt like. … I was like, cool. There wasn’t bad blood behind it. Man, fresh start.”
Robinson notes that he heard his name in trade rumors several times over the years, so he’s not surprised that he isn’t playing his entire career in New York. The Celtics were able to give him a starting job and are happy to have an elite-level rebounder and rim protector. They’ll be careful about his workload, but Katz states that they don’t believe his minutes have to be limited as much as they were last season. The team’s medical staff hopes to have him ready for about 25 minutes per game by the playoffs.
“The only thing that was kind of different was going to the rivals,” Robinson added about coming to Boston. “But you know me, man. I like to troll. Nobody was happy with that move. But I was.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Coach Mike Brown believes his team got pushed around too much in the first two games of the season, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Brown was particularly upset Friday with the effort on defense, believing his players didn’t work hard enough to fight through screens. “It was a physical ballgame and [the Celtics] had the advantage out there with the physicality,” he said.
- Mikal Bridges is mired in an early-season slump, but Brown is encouraging him to not pass up shots, relays Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News (subscription required). Bridges is 2-of-16 from the field so far and has missed all seven of his three-point attempts. “I mean, he had three or four wide-open threes, and obviously we want him to make half of them if they’re open,” Brown said. “But he’s got to keep shooting and hopefully they’ll eventually go in sooner than later.”
- The Knicks issued two statements on Friday relating to the championship ring phishing email that was sent to MSG employees. The team promised to distribute “more than 275 rings and jewelry” to people in the organization.
