When the Boston Celtics signed former Knick Mitchell Robinson to a three-year, $47.4 million deal this offseason, it didn’t take lengthy for one a part of his sport to dominate the dialog: offensive rebounding.
Robinson has established himself as one in every of, if not, the perfect offensive rebounders within the NBA, giving Boston precisely the kind of inside presence they wanted. The seven-footer averaged 8.8 whole rebounds per sport in simply 19.6 minutes an evening for the Finals-winning New York Knicks. His influence on the offensive glass was much more spectacular, as he pulled down 4.2 offensive rebounds per sport, good for second within the league, regardless of enjoying at the least six fewer minutes per sport than each different participant within the top-five.
I made a video going into nice element about all of the methods the massive man will get his boards on that finish and the way it interprets to the inexperienced guys.
Offensive rebounding is his finest talent, however there’s one other a part of Robinson’s sport that deserves much more consideration and when you learn the title, I assume you already know the place that is going: His three-point capturing.
A person can dream, however for actual this time: His protection.
I went again by means of Robinson’s complete playoff run to recall what the influence on that finish appears to be like like.
Robinson’s means to guard the rim, use his size as a deterrent and supply a reliable defensive presence behind Boston’s perimeter defenders might in the end be 1A/1B state of affairs by way of significance along with his rebounding.
In terms of pure shot-blocking, Robinson averaged 2.2 blocks per 75 possessions, putting him within the ninety fifth percentile. Based on Bball-Index, he recorded a block on 27% of his shot contests, a determine that ranked within the 96th percentile and additional underscored his means to guard the rim.
Moreover, Robinson is solely a high-impact defender. When he isn’t blocking photographs on the rim, he’s deterring makes an attempt altogether, forcing rushed kick-outs, utilizing his dimension to carry his personal within the publish and displaying wonderful timing as a assist defender. His +2.7 Defensive DPM final season ranked within the 99th percentile, whereas his 23.2% defensive rebound fee allowed him to persistently end possessions on the glass.
He’s greater than a giant physique who simply stands within the paint. When wholesome, Robinson offers the Celtics an athletic, cellular middle able to erasing errors on the rim and making life troublesome for opposing offenses on the perimeter. He brings a lot wanted potential protection versatility with main dimension to a workforce that completely might’ve used it final season.
He often demonstrated the power to chop off driving lanes, slide his ft in aggressive pick-and-roll coverages whereas recovering to his task, and keep in entrance of smaller offensive gamers lengthy sufficient to power a move or contest the following shot.
Talking of contesting photographs, Robinson’s 7-foot-4 wingspan and fast leaping means make him a real downside for opposing offenses.
Robinson additionally possesses spectacular off-ball instincts for a giant man, which grow to be notably precious towards a few of the league’s extra distinctive frontcourt gamers. He leans into his physicality when he sees a display coming and by some means will get skinny sufficient to get by means of the display and blow up the play.
Possibly essentially the most distinctive a part of his protection is his arms.
Final season, Robinson averaged 4.1 deflections and 1.8 steals per 75 possessions, putting him within the 96th and 98th percentiles, respectively, amongst gamers at his place.
It’s a degree of exercise that has remained remarkably constant for the Western Kentucky product, who has ranked in at the least the 96th percentile in each classes in every of the previous three seasons and if you watch him play, it’s straightforward to see why.
In possessions the place he’s the display defender, he typically places his hand within the passing lane so the ball handler can’t try or full the needle threading move.
Different occasions, he makes use of nice anticipatory expertise to diagnose passes and typically pluck the rock free on ball.
And on occasion, Robinson will put every part collectively and utterly shut down a few of the league’s finest in isolation. Whereas I wouldn’t depend on switching or red-coverage schemes for prolonged stretches given the calls for on his endurance and the sheer distinction in foot pace, Robinson is a keen switcher that forces turnovers proven by his 4.3 STOP proportion.
The best option to describe Mitchell Robinson is as an elite offensive rebounder.
The extra correct means could also be to explain him as an elite possession-changer.
He modifies possessions when he grabs a miss that ought to have belonged to the protection. He modifies them when he deters a drive on the rim. He modifies them when his size smacks a shot try into the arms of a teammate. He modifies them when he turns a clear look right into a rushed move, or when he blows up a play earlier than it ever develops.
Robinson has the scale to guard the rim, the athleticism to cowl floor, the instincts to disrupt actions away from the ball and the physicality to make opponents uncomfortable. Only a few facilities can test all of these bins.
He simply must be the defender he has already proven himself to be.
