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Knicks’ Potential Mitchell Robinson Departure Gains Traction After New Revelation
The New York Knicks have been through a lot this season to get where they are, their first NBA Finals trip since 1999.
Now, just days before Game 1, there is a new concern around center Mitchell Robinson that every Knicks fan needs to know about.
Robinson is dealing with a broken right pinky. It sounds straightforward, but there is more to this story than just a finger.
GettyMitchell Robinson’s Injury May Be More Serious Than Initially Reported
Injury analyst Jeff Stotts posted an update on X that changed the whole picture. He wrote:
“ANOTHER Mitchell Robinson Injury Update: The injury is now believed to be a 5th metacarpal fx, meaning it’s more of a hand injury than a finger one. Recovery is often measured in weeks following surgery (AVG = 52 days) but it still sounds like Mitchell is going to push to play.”
ANOTHER Mitchell Robinson Injury Update: The injury is now believed to be a 5th metacarpal fx, meaning it’s more of a hand injury than a finger one. Recovery is often measured in weeks following surgery (AVG = 52 days) but it still sounds like Mitchell is going to push to play.
A metacarpal is a bone in the palm of the hand, and the one that is also known as the fifth metacarpal is the one that is connected to the pinky finger. So it’s not just a simple broken finger, it’s a hand bone break, and those are on a whole different healing timeline.
After surgical operation that 52-day average is really the crucial number here. The Finals begin June 3. Besides that, Stotts had said since 2005, the quickest any NBA player has come back from a surgically repaired pinky fracture is 14 days, and Robinson is striving to beat even that.
GettyMitchell Robinson’s Hand Injury Update Could Change Everything for Knicks
Robinson has already been operated on and revealed he intends to play in Game 1 with a brace. That resolve is genuine, but what makes the injury even more difficult to overlook is its history.
It is the third occasion on which Robinson has undergone surgery on his right hand. In 2021, he fractured his fourth metacarpal, hitting the sidelines for weeks, including playoffs.
In two years’ time, he broke his right thumb and was absent for a few weeks. Now it is a break in the fifth metacarpal, the same right hand on which he has already undergone two surgeries.
The extra rest the Knicks got by waiting for the Western Conference Finals to end gives them a little edge. Those additional days may be important if the player is the type who is ready to overcome the injury. However, not even the braces can work magic when the same hand keeps getting damaged.
It matters because Robinson is not just any piece. He averaged 4.2 offensive rebounds per game during the regular season and is one of the better rim protectors in the league. Against a Spurs team anchored by Victor Wembanyama, having him out there changes how both teams approach the paint entirely.
The bottom line is that the injury is more complicated than the Knicks initially let on, and its history makes it even harder to feel easy about. Robinson’s will is not in question. Whether that right hand holds up for June 3 is.
Jayesh Pagar Jayesh Pagar is a writer at Heavy Sports, covering the New York Knicks and other NBA teams. He brings four years of experience across digital sports media, including NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football. He covered as the Knicks beat writer for ONSI and has written for PFSN, Sporting News, and ClutchPoints. More about Jayesh Pagar
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