CHICAGO — It’s been a slow return to form for Mitchell Robinson, which could’ve been predicted after ankle surgery and three months off.
But as he acknowledged multiple lingering issues, the center had more reasons for optimism after rejecting three shots — including a block on Giannis Antetokounmpo — over 19 minutes of Sunday’s victory over the Bucks.
“The defense is coming back faster,” he said.
The rest?
It’s a work in progress.
Robinson, now the backup behind Isaiah Hartenstein, has been navigating rust, lack of confidence in his ankle and conditioning problems since returning from a 50-game absence.
It has manifested itself in averages of just 3.8 points in 14.6 minutes on 40 percent shooting — uncharacteristic inefficiency around the rim from a player who holds the NBA’s single-season record for field-goal percentage.
It’s part of a timing issue that is also leading to problems securing rebounds.
“Usually I know how to time exactly where the ball will go,” Robinson said. “Right now it’s just all over the place. Like I’ll get my hand there, I’ll get it, and then it goes way over there [off my hand] to somewhere. I’m like, ‘S–t. I’ve just got to figure it out.’ ”
Conditioning has also been a struggle, which hurt Robinson when he returned from foot surgery a couple of seasons ago.
Robinson, who has looked gassed in his short spurts, said Sunday his fitness is “low as s–t.”
He’s also thinking too much about re-injuring his ankle.
“Pushing off. Absorbing contact through it. Stuff like that,” he said. “’Cause obviously no one wants this to happen again. I damn sure don’t. … It’s something I’ve gotta get back used to again.”
In the meantime, Robinson’s defense is further along — though not quite where he wants it to be.
Rim protection has been better than keeping opposing players from driving.
“Now it’s just trusting my foot to be square instead of having it open so [opponents] just drive by,” he said.
With less than two weeks until the playoffs, there’s not much room for an extended ramp-up in confidence and conditioning.
But Sunday was an encouraging sign — at least for Robinson’s defense.
“I really don’t know [if I’ll be back to where I was for the playoffs],” Robinson said. “I’m just taking it day by day so once I get it all figured it out, it’ll be all right.”
The Knicks were fined $25,000 Monday for being shady about their injury report.
The infraction, according to the NBA, involved Robinson’s first game back from surgery on March 27.
He was listed as “out” before logging 12 minutes in a blowout win over the Raptors.
Robinson was upgraded from “out” to “questionable” in the morning before the game.
