Former Knicks center Mitchell Robinson shooting for Boston against Philadelphia on October 10
Former Knicks center Mitchell Robinson shooting for Boston against Philadelphia on October 10
Mitchell Robinson began his Boston preseason with six points, five rebounds and 14 minutes against Philadelphia on Saturday. It was a start, not proof that the Celtics have solved the availability concerns he carried with the Knicks.
I understand why he wants more freedom to play. I don’t agree with turning that desire into a verdict that New York was wrong to be careful with him. The Knicks needed him available in the playoffs, and he helped them win the championship.
The comments behind this week’s renewed debate aren’t a new Sunday interview. Robinson discussed playing back-to-backs with CP The Fanchise in a September 28 Knicks Fan TV interview. The remarks circulated again Thursday, with coverage and fans contrasting his expectations in Boston with his managed workload in New York.
His expectation is fair to discuss. It isn’t a guarantee that he’ll play every back-to-back, and it doesn’t establish that the Knicks’ medical or coaching staff handled a specific situation incorrectly. We don’t have that evidence.
The Knicks were trying to have him when it mattered
Robinson’s final game for New York gives the workload argument some useful context. In the championship-clinching win over San Antonio, he played 20 minutes and collected 10 rebounds, six on the offensive glass. A limited scoring role didn’t keep him from contributing to the biggest win of the season.
Former Knicks center Mitchell Robinson at Boston media day on September 28
Robinson is pictured with his current team, Boston. Sep 28, 2026; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics center Mitchell Robinson (4) talks to reporters during media day at Auerbach Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Knicks needed his rebounding and interior presence deep into June. I wouldn’t trade that outcome for the satisfaction of seeing him play an extra regular-season night if the staff believed the additional work was unwise.
That doesn’t mean every restriction was perfect. A player can feel good enough to compete while the team takes a more conservative view, and there are real costs to sitting: fewer repetitions, uneven conditioning and the frustration of watching teammates play. Those concerns deserve to be heard rather than dismissed as complaining.
But medical decisions require information that a public interview and a box score don’t provide. Declaring Boston’s approach superior before it survives a season is premature. Saturday’s 14-minute appearance tells us what happened in one exhibition, not how his body will respond to consecutive games in January.
Boston can make a different choice without rewriting New York’s
The Celtics may find that Robinson can handle a larger schedule now. Health changes, preparation changes and different staffs can reach different conclusions. I’d be happy for him if he plays more often and stays available.
The alternative isn’t to insist that Boston copy every Knicks restriction. It is to assess the new workload on its own results while giving New York’s championship-season contribution its proper weight.
Robinson will have plenty of nights to show what his new schedule allows. Knicks fans can appreciate what he did in June without accepting that an optimistic promise from a rival proves their team held him back.