A raw big man with a lot of question marks, the Knicks took a gamble on a prospect with major flaws but huge upside.
The New York Knicks selected Chalmette High School center Mitchell Robinson with the 36th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Perhaps the only prospect in the entire draft shrouded in less mystery than Michael Porter Jr., Robinson has had a tumultuous 18 months. He committed to Texas A&M initially before switching to Western Kentucky, but he ended up attending neither, breaking teams rules at Western Kentucky. He turned his attention toward the draft shortly after being granted his release from the program. Robinson was a five-star recruit coming out of college, playing in the McDonald’s All-American Game with the likes of Deandre Ayton and newly-minted Knick Kevin Knox.
Robinson did not participate in any part of the NBA Combine, leaving his future even more of an uncertainty. His game is completely theoretical at this point, as he relies on his athleticism and overwhelming size to dominate weaker competition in high school. The NBA will obviously be a completely different story.
This is the type of selection that the Knicks should make in the second round. Since the odds of the pick landing are so low, why not swing for the fences? Robinson has a checkered past, but he should come into the NBA as a motivated big man looking to make a statement. The Knicks should afford him every opportunity to put that chip on his shoulder to good use.
