Is Mitchell Robinson the Plan B for Detroit Pistons at center?
A report out of New York says that if Chet Holmgren does not fall to the Detroit Pistons, they will go after Knicks center Mitchell Robinson in free agency.
Remember this past season, when Kelly Olynyk and Isaiah Stewart were hurt, and the Pistons had to go with undersized power forward Trey Lyles as their center? General manager Troy Weaver certainly does.
First, Weaver swung a deal at the trade deadline for Sacramento Kings center Marvin Bagley III, giving Detroit a legitimate lob threat. And he is not done. When you go 23-59, you are always looking to upgrade.
It appears the Pistons are out of the running for Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren, as he is expected to be off the board by the time Detroit selects fifth in the draft. So, the Pistons are turning their attention to another center they had looked at before getting Bagley.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, he has been told the Pistons will go after Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, if they do not get Holmgren in the draft.
Robinson is a 7-foot, 240-pound center who this season averaged 8.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for New York. Although he has four seasons in the NBA, Robinson just turned 24-years-old, in line with the Pistons young core of players.
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Robinson is an unrestricted free agent, and Detroit has more salary cap space then any other NBA team, at the moment.
Detroit tried to get Robinson at the trade deadline but the Knicks turned them down. Now, if Robinson leaves, and he was not thrilled with the way coach Tom Thibodaux used him, New York will end up with nothing.
Robinson has been plagued by injuries but played in 72 games last season, the most of his career.
With a career 2.0 blocks a game average, Robinson would provide Detroit with a rim protector. The play of Robert Williams with the Boston Celtics this season has shown the value on defense of having a tall shot-blocker.
With Isaiah Stewart having shown he can harass smaller people on pick-and-rolls, having him paired with Robinson would be intimidating. You want to try and drive the lane, first trying to get past ‘Beef Stew’, only to have Robinson laying in wait, ready to reject your shot?
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It would be kind of ironic if Detroit, which tried to land Bagley and Robinson at the trade deadline, could end up with both. Of course, if, somehow, Holmgren did drop to the Pistons, it won’t happen.