Knicks Neurol’s Noel and Mitchell Robinson can’t stay healthy. But thankfully, the Knicks still have the remains of the 36-year-old Gibson’s crown to salvage on nights like Monday.
With Noel out again with a knee sprain and Robinson aggravating an already swinging ankle in the third quarter, Gibson went in and bolstered his defense that allowed just ten points in the fourth quarter.
Brooklyn’s third-thread center may become more valuable as Noel Robinson’s injury saga begins.
Gibson’s points in the box rarely show his bravery and grinding as he scored two points and had no field goal. But all you need to know is that the Knicks were a plus-22 in the 28th minute he spent on the field.
Wearing New York on your chest is enough,” Gibson said after the Knicks’ win from the back over the Pacers. “Just going out there trying to play hard, and understand the ups and downs of the season. A lot of teams are going through good and bad times, and right now, we were in trouble. Just trying to make a difference. I knew it was going to be a tough game, I know how we were laying eggs at home. I’ve been in the league for a long time, so I only trust my intuition.”
The Knicks Center was not a strength. Robinson is still getting close to shape and looked sluggish on Saturday in Charlotte. He definitely didn’t make it out of Monday’s game and played 15:51, he went 1 of 2 and was minus 14.
We’ll see where he is, said Tom Thibodeau. “I don’t think he’s serious.”
He wasn’t the dominant shot-blocker or dunkmaster in his first three years.
Back-up center Nirlance Noel can’t stay on the field. He missed his third game in a row on Monday. He has played in only 3 out of 14 matches. The most recent being a knee sprain after suffering from hamstring/hamstring issues in pre-season when he did not play in any exhibition competitions.
Robinson didn’t go for long minutes as he still struggled with a broken foot last March.
He’s still working his way through it,” Tibodo said. “He’s obviously been out for a long period of time. It’s a work in progress in terms of conditioning. He messed up a little bit. It’s all normal. If you’re a professional athlete, this is what happens.”
Robinson has gained muscle weight and may look less slender – if much stronger.
“We’re monitoring that closely,” Tibodo said. “Since he has been allowed to do more running and conditioning, I think that will improve as we go forward.”
After signing a three-year, $32 million deal, Noel returned to his early career ways to being injury prone.
Knicks fans on social media all hype Obi Tobin, the powerful second-year striker, whose name has been chanted in the park, must play more than 11 minutes on average. He’s a quick-smashing machine with his outstanding shot but he struggled in defense and with his 3-point shot. It was 0 for 2 out of 3 on Monday, bringing it down to 11 percent. In 15:48 of the action, he had four rebounds, had two thrills dunks and was a plus 10.
“It all depends on the performance,” Tibodo said. “It is not an individual thing. It is a collective thing. It is the way the team works and there has to be a balance between attack and defence. That is a factor in it as well.”
.
