New York Knicks: Is Thomas Robinson A Good Fit?
The NBA Deadline did not disappoint this season, as it seemed like every team in the league was involved in some sort of move, including the New York Knicks. A record was set for players traded in one day, as there was a flurry of moves right up to the 3 PM deadline, with some being bigger than others.
With the deadline now behind us, the next thing to pay attention to is buyouts. Players who were not moved could be bought out by their current teams, which causes the second wave of player movement. One player who was traded Thursday, Thomas Robinson, has already agreed to a buyout with his new team, the Denver Nuggets after being traded from the Portland Trail Blazers. Could the Knicks be one of the teams Robinson takes a look at joining for the remainder of the season?
The biggest reason for Robinson asking for a buyout from the Nuggets is that he is seeking more playing time, and they just do not have it. With Kenneth Faried and Jusuf Nurik locked in as starters, Robinson would have been relegated to bench duty. There was no guarantee that he would even get minutes in a bench role, as the Nuggets already have Darrell Arthur and J.J. Hickson in the fold. They also use Danilo Gallinari at power forward sometimes, and the newly acquired Victor Claver, who came over with Robinson from the Blazers, figure to work his way into the forward rotation as well.
That is a crowded front court, one that Robinson wanted no part of. That has been the problem for Robinson throughout his career, as every team he has been a part of has had plenty of players ahead of him on the depth chart. He has not yet received a chance to really show what he is capable of, which more than likely means he will sign on with a cellar dwelling team to get minutes.
Some contending teams may jump at the chance to add a young player such as Robinson to the end of their roster, thinking their coaching staff can be the one to get the promising play he showed at Kansas to come out once again in the NBA. This will be the fifth team in three seasons that Robinson will be a part of, as he has been a member of the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Trail Blazers and now Nuggets. It would seem that he wants to go somewhere he can get playing time, so why not consider the Knicks?
The Knicks currently have an open roster spot after Amar’e Stoudemire was bought out earlier in the week. There have been whispers that the Knicks may give that roster spot to 2014 second round pick Thanasis Antetokoumnpo, but they would have to pay him this season and then again next season, which is something they may not want to do. They could open up even more spots, as Andrea Bargnani has been talked about as a potential buyout candidate if he wasn’t traded at the deadline, and the Knicks could choose to buyout the recently acquired Alexey Shved as well. But for now, there is only one open roster spot and they should think long and hard about adding the number five overall pick from the 2012 NBA Draft.
Coming out of Kansas, Robinson had a terrific motor. He was the type of player any team would take, as he did all of the dirty work and enjoyed it. He could score inside, and excelled rebounding. The stats do not pop off the stat sheet for his time in the NBA, but his per 36 minutes stats show a player that is still doing the same things he was in college, just in a much smaller sample size.
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Robinson’s per 36 minute stats are actually quite impressive, as he is averaging 10.6 points and 12.2 rebounds to go with 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. He may not get 36 minutes a game with the Knicks, but they would give him as many minutes as any team currently in the NBA. You know he would give it his all when he enters the game. The only real negative to his game currently is that he doesn’t really have much of an offensive game, doing most of his work off putbacks and getting the hard work baskets inside. His free throw shooting also leaves much to be desired, as he has connected on only 52.3 percent of his chances from the charity stripe.
The Knicks have no one currently on the roster that you would point to and say they deserve X-amount of minutes per game, especially in their front court. Robinson would be given a chance to play right away, and more than likely work his way into the starting lineup. His hustle and style of play would endear him to the New York faithful, and be appreciated because of how poor the Knicks’ season is currently going; as long as you are giving it your all and putting forth effort, the fans will cheer for you.
Robinson also wouldn’t bite into the Knicks’ future cap space, as the option on his contract for next season is a team one. This would basically be an audition for Robinson to show what he is capable of, and to try reviving a career that never really got off the ground. Even at only 23-years old, Robinson seems to be running out of chances in the NBA, and the Knicks would give him as good as one as anyone to not have his career end prematurely.
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