Before the New York Knicks‘ Sunday game against the Boston Celtics, ESPN insider Shams Charania shared an encouraging update on Mitchell Robinson’s long-awaited season debut.

“I’m here to report that Mitchell Robinson is closing on his season debut,” Charania said on ESPN’s NBA Countdown. “His goal is to make his return to the lineup at some point over the next week. He’s had multiple full scrimmages over the last several days, and he’s going to have another session scheduled for early in the week. And then the Knicks, Robinson will make a determination on when that target date could be.

“This is someone that was a starting center for the Knicks last season. He’s expected to be an anchor for the Knicks’ defense alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, potentially finishing games together for the Knicks.”

According to Charania, Robinson has participated in “multiple full scrimmages over the last week,” a positive sign as he rehabs from the ankle injury that cut his last season short. He sustained a stress fracture in his left ankle during the Knicks’ first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

His return will give New York a reliable presence in the paint, helping to shore up a frontcourt that has struggled defensively – one of the few downsides to the Towns addition.

The Knicks, known for their defensive toughness, faced uncharacteristic struggles before the All-Star break – ranking 18th in defensive rating, last in blocks per game, 25th in defensive rebounds, and 20th in points allowed in the paint.

Through 31 games last season, Robinson averaged 5.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. Over his career, he’s posted 7.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.

His season debut could come on Wednesday at home against the 76ers or on Friday in the Knicks’ road matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies. Even without him, New York (37-20) is sitting comfortably at the third seed in the Eastern Conference.

The New York Knicks didn’t make much noise at the trade deadline, aside from trading Jericho Sims. Their focus remains on Mitchell Robinson’s eventual return from injury.

Robinson, who is still rehabbing from ankle surgery, spoke to the media for the first time in nine months on Tuesday, addressing his prolonged recovery. He explained that the delay wasn’t due to a setback but a focus on long-term health. He’s eager to return but still does not have a set timeline.

“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.”

He detailed his mindset, acknowledging the importance of better habits and a smarter approach to recovery.

“Not make dumb decisions like nutrition-wise; make sure I take care of my body the right way. 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 has recently been cleared for contact and is now preparing for the next step, a full 5-on-5 practice.

“When the doctor tells me to go, I’ll be ready to go,” he said.

Robinson’s injury history has continued to grow, and it stings because he felt he was playing his best basketball at the start of the 2023-24 season.

“Right in the beginning, before it happened, in December, I think I was playing the best basketball of my career. The game was really slow to me. I could see everything.”

Robinson fractured his ankle, keeping him out from December 2023 until just before the playoffs. After a collision with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, he sustained a foot injury. He attempted to play through the injury in the semifinal series against the Indiana Pacers but ultimately had surgery once the Knicks’ season ended.

The Knicks were hopeful that Robinson would return by December, but both he and the team recognize his significance, especially at center. There’s no need to rush his recovery.

The Knicks hold the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed and are hoping for a deeper playoff run, with Robinson a key factor.

New York Knicks’ center Mitchell Robinson’s dad has been found after going missing over two weeks ago.

A 2018 second-round pick by the team, Robinson said on social media that his father has been MIA since February 13.

“My dad is missing if you have info on his whereabouts please contact 850-436-9620,” Robinson wrote, along with the number for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department.

A few days later, Robinson again took to social media to plead for help.

“Don’t know a place the devil will hide you … Come home pops,” Robinson wrote on Instagram.

The sheriff’s office is currently investigating the situation, and the department shared a photo of Mitchell’s dad as well as information surrounding his last whereabouts.

Robinson has played in 53 games for the Knicks this season, and he’s improved his productivity as the season has progressed.

Every New York Knicks fan that turns on the TV keeps their eyes on Mitchell Robinson.

But why watch the No. 36 pick? Because Robinson isn’t a No. 36-pick talent. Instead of slaving away on a college team, he took a year off and trained on his own. Teams grew weary of that radical decision and he slipped from the lottery to the second round. If he had been taken at No. 6 overall, he’d have made $13.7 million in the first three years of his career. Because he was given no safe alternative to avoid college, he’ll lose out on close to $9 million. Let’s face it: the G-league and European leagues are viewed as jokes compared to the NCAA.

In February, the NBA proposed to its union that 18-year-olds can become eligible to join the league in 2022. Since 2005, talented players have been forced to go to pro player factories like Duke and Kentucky and hope their shoe doesn’t blow out in a game as hyped as the Super Bowl for which they’re not being compensated. It’s an exploitative system. You get an “education” and your school gets millions.

However, we’ll never see 18-year-old players in the league again. For owners, picking a kid fresh out of high school supposedly increases the volatility of the draft. For coaches, having to develop an 18-year-old is like hell on the court and in pro sports, job security seems to be nonexistent.  For players, those younger guys will eat up contracts for buyout guys. These are mostly bulls—t.

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From 1995 to 2005, 36 American high schoolers were drafted. Only 10 of them made at least one All-Star game. That’s a 27.7% chance of being an All-Star. The No. 4 overall pick historically produces an All-Star 29% of the time. It’s a good chunk of success. But you might be saying “oh, what about the guys who aren’t All-Stars?” Well, first off they’re gonna declare for the draft after their first year of college anyway. Did Dikembe Mutombo really need to spend four years at Georgetown asking “Who wants to sex Mutombo?” Second, that 27.7% doesn’t include guys like Lou Williams, Monta Ellis, CJ Miles, Gerald Green, JR Smith, Josh Smit, and Al Jefferson, just to name a few. While not All-Stars, they’ve had pretty lucrative NBA careers.

If a player spends one year in the NBA, he’ll walk away with at least $816,000, the rookie minimum. If you spent $50,000 per year, you wouldn’t have to work for 16 years. You’ll have more than enough time and money to go back to school at 22 or 23 years old. While doing this is easier said than done, especially after being around the extravagance of the NBA, so is making it as a pro ball player. The argument that owners and coaches present is nothing short of bulls—t. The players from high school hit, and they hit at a similar or even better amount that most regular draft picks.

Kobe Bryant‘s often given as the example of a player who could’ve done better with a year of college. Owners will point to Kobe falling to No. 13 as a sign of why we can’t end the exploitation of 18-year-olds. Sure, the Hornets drafted him and then traded him to the Lakers. But isn’t that more a sign of the Hornets being a bottom-tier franchise since their inception? As for coaches, Kobe is supposed to be an example of a player whose age made him hard to develop. The “Black Mamba” was an All-Star by his second season. Yeah, there were some issues with Shaquille O’Neal but who didn’t Kobe have issues with? That’s more of a sign of him being a weirdo than anything else.

As for players, they’ve got the most sincere argument. Rookies would actually take their jobs. But most of these guys will have already made close to $6 million by the time they’re out of the league. You can live off that for close to the rest of your life. It’s a valid point but as a fan I’m not buying it. Gone are the twilights of Deron Williams and James Jones. Good riddance. Nobody was packing in the stadium to see LeBron James‘s right-hand man play eight minutes a game. I’ve watched the Thunder. Raymond Felton still plays for them. I’d much rather see Tre Jones on the court. Why should I care that Zion Williamson is playing glorified exhibitions or that Ja Morant is pretty much in an intermural league? But even if they’re on the Suns, I’d tune in.