INDIANAPOLIS — Mitchell Robinson has a message for the people who may have forgotten about his ability.
“Let them sleep,” he said. “I’ll wake they ass up.”
Robinson, recovering from ankle surgery, broke his nine-month silence Tuesday night to beat reporters, explaining that his long recovery from ankle surgery wasn’t the result of a setback — only a commitment to sustained health — and that he’s eager to return, but still without a target date.
“I’ve just been taking my time. I want to make sure it’s 100 percent, I ain’t trying to keep having these sit-outs and setbacks and stuff like that,” Robinson said. “This time, I’m just going to play it smart. Usually, I’d be young and dumb to go out there and try to get back as fast as I can. I can’t do that no more.”
What does that mean?
“Not make dumb decisions like nutrition-wise, make sure I take care of my body the right way,” Robinson said. “After a game, I don’t ice. That’s part of learning and growing. I’m just going to focus to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Robinson was recently cleared for contact, and the next hurdle is participating in a full 5-on-5 practice.
“When the doctor tells me to go, I’ll be ready to go,” he said.
It’s getting closer, and Tom Thibodeau giddily talked Monday about the possibilities of his reintegration.
On paper, Robinson is what the Knicks are missing — a rim protector and rebounder who can eat up 20 minutes off the bench and play in lineups with Karl-Anthony Towns.
As demonstrated with the Timberwolves, Towns can play power forward and fits neatly alongside a better rim protector. Also, Robinson would immediately step in as the Knicks’ top offensive rebounder.
His prowess in that department was on full display in the 2023 playoffs — when he bludgeoned the Cavaliers — and at the start of last season, before the ankle injury derailed the best stretch of his career.
“Right in the beginning before it happened, in December, I think I was playing the best basketball of my career,” Robinson said. “The game was really slow to me. I could see everything.”
Injuries, unfortunately, have been a big part of Robinson’s career. He’s missed nearly half the games since 2021, with various ailments, including a fractured right foot. In December 2023, he sat 50 straight games after undergoing surgery to fix a stress fracture in his left ankle.
He returned just before the playoffs, but reinjured the ankle in the first round against the Sixers, with Joel Embiid memorably dragging down the Knicks center to the floor from behind.
Asked if he was injured on the Embiid play, Robinson said, “I’m not getting into that.”
Robinson’s subsequent ankle surgery in May was described as minor, with a projected return for training camp. But Robinson’s recovery went months beyond, and the 26-year-old was only recently cleared for contact.
He became the subject of trade rumors before this month’s deadline, but stayed put, representing the best hope for the Knicks to upgrade their roster and address their lack of frontcourt depth.
Robinson heard the trade buzz but said he was unfazed.
“You know how people are. They keep telling me [about the rumors] and it is what it is,” Robinson said. “It’s a business. I’m not going to cry about it.”
Now Robinson, a second-round pick in 2018, is the longest-tenured Knick by three years. And he’s ready to remind everybody why he’s stuck around so long.
“I’m just going to continue to do what I do best,” Robinson said. “Offensive rebounding. Block shots. Defend. Stuff like that. I can’t wait to see how it goes. I’ll see.”
