Knicks' Mitchell Robinson Out At Least 6-8 Weeks with Ankle Injury amid NBA Playoffs

The New York Knicks have a 1-0 lead in their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers, but they will be even more shorthanded for the playoffs moving forward.

New York announced Tuesday that big man Mitchell Robinson will be evaluated in six-to-eight weeks after he suffered a "a stress injury to his left ankle."

ESPN's Brian Windhorst previously reported the Knicks ruled him out for Wednesday's Game 2 because of left ankle injury management. Robinson also missed a game during New York's first-round win over the Philadelphia 76ers for the same reason after he was sidelined for 50 regular-season games because of an ankle injury that required surgery.

The 26-year-old was expected to be a significant part of the team's frontcourt rotation after averaging 7.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in 2022-23.

However, the injury limited his action and contributed to his numbers decreasing. He ended up averaging 5.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game during the 2023-24 campaign and scored more than two points in only one of his six postseason games.

Still, Robinson's absence is a concern for a Knicks team that was already playing with a short bench.

Robinson led New York in bench scoring in its Game 1 win over Indiana with a grand total of two points. The Pacers' bench outscored the Knicks' reserves 46-3, although the home team's starting lineup was effective enough to come away with the victory.

With Robinson joining Julius Randle and Bojan Bogdanović as injured players on the sidelines, look for Precious Achiuwa to see more playing time. He has appeared in three playoff games but has yet to score more than four points.

Robinson's injury likely means Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau will be even more reliant on his starting lineup. Isaiah Hartenstein will anchor the frontcourt, while Jalen Brunson will remain the go-to option from the backcourt.

Robinson is an important depth piece, but New York hasn't counted on its bench to do much in these playoffs.