After the Knicks got dismantled at Cleveland and Boston in their past two games, it was apparent as ever they missed Mitchell Robinson’s defensive presence inside.
Now, Robinson appears to be approaching his return from the ankle injury that’s sidelined him since last postseason.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau said the 7-foot center looked “good” Tuesday.
“Active,’’ Thibodeau said of Robinson. “Very active.”
Despite that, Robinson will miss another game Wednesday, when the Knicks host the 76ers at Madison Square Garden.
Before Robinson was ruled out, Thibodeau said the team would have to see how his surgically repaired ankle responded to Tuesday’s workout.
Still, it’s clear Robinson is on the verge of making his season debut, barring any further setback.
So how will that impact a Knicks team that hasn’t been at its best defensively?
“Mitch is an elite pick-and-roll defender,’’ Thibodeau said. “[He’s] an elite rim protector [and] an elite offensive rebounder. Those are the things that you know are critical.”
Thibodeau also noted Robinson’s “size and knowledge of the league … He’s a hard guy to measure statistically, but the value he brings to the team is great.’’
Regardless of how much Robinson plays, he’ll make a difference defensively and on the boards. A season ago, he led the Knicks with 4.6 offensive rebounds per game and was tied for the team lead with 1.1 blocks per game.
Soon, it will be up to Thibodeau to determine exactly how to use him.
Following Tuesday’s practice in Tarrytown, Thibodeau referred to Robinson as the team’s “starting center,” but that could have been in reference to his role a year ago, prior to the arrival of Karl-Anthony Towns.
“I think you have to look at it and say, ‘Mitch was projected to be the starting center,’ ” Thibodeau said. “That means we’ve gone [57] games without our starting center. … I think guys have done a really good job stepping in. Could we do better? I always believe we could do better.”
Whenever Robinson returns, he’ll have to build up his minutes before a potential start could even be a consideration.
But in practice, he’s already showing his teammates — old and new — how much of a problem he can be for an opposing offense.
“Seeing him out there, it’s good,’’ Cameron Payne said. “He blocked my shot today. I was a little sick [about it]. I was like, ‘I normally get that.’ He was like, ‘No, I’m back.’ That’s what’s up. Covering for each other is huge and he does a great job at it.”
That’s part of what the Knicks hope will be a better defense going forward, although it’s not all about Robinson.
Payne acknowledged the team needs to be more vocal on the defensive end.
“In order for us to win tough games against these good teams who have been together a long time, we have to communicate more,’’ Payne said.
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And he pointed to how it’s hurt them in trying to contain pick-and-rolls.
“It’s a thing we have, ‘ELC’: Early, loud and continuous,’’ Payne said of their goal on defense. “So [on] pick-and-roll coverages, we need to be more loud, be more vocal. And in our arena, we need to be more loud. The communication part is a trust factor.’’
Payne added that veterans such as himself, Towns, Jalen Brunson and others will be key in that regard.
“That’s got to come from the guys that’s older, that’s been around and done and seen things,’’ Payne said. “We’ve seen it. We’ve been in there. We have to talk more so we know what’s going on and just help our teammates a little bit more.’’