Knicks practice whispers confirm what Mitchell Robinson said about his role

As the New York Knicks prepare for the return of Mitchell Robinson, the franchise might go ahead with a suggestion made by the veteran. According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, the "conversations" around Knicks practice seem to suggest there is a "strong possibility" that Robinson will come off the bench once he comes back from ankle injury.

Robinson has been missing from the New York Knicks starting lineup since December. Before his injury, the center was averaging 10 rebounds per game and seemed like a controlling presence in either the offensive or defensive paint.

There were times during his rehab this season when it seemed like the center would miss the rest of the season. If the former starter would move to the bench, the Knicks would likely continue to start Isaiah Hartenstein who has grabbed the starting job and performed well in Robinson's absence.

New York is close to getting Mitchell Robinson back as the defensive machine went through a full practice today as part of his rehab. As Robinson returns, are the Knicks in the right putting Robinson off the bench for their playoff run?

Should the New York Knicks put Mitchell Robinson out of the starting lineup for their playoff run?

To be quite honest, Mitchell Robinson is probably best suited for a limited role after suffering the ankle injury that he did this season. Thibodeau has had a problem in the past relating to player injury management which puts Robinson at a possible high risk of the center re-injuring himself in the playoffs if he has to play starter-level minutes.

If they can get healthy, the Knicks have a good shot at making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1999. One way that they can do that is making sure that they do not overplay Robinson until they are on death's door in the playoffs. As New York looks to make a deep run for the playoffs, the franchise seems to be in a good spot with Robinson trending to be a reserve one.