Knicks News: Mitchell Robinson Has Thumb Surgery; Injury to Be Reevaluated in 3 Weeks

In the midst of a two-game skid, the New York Knicks suffered another major blow Thursday.

The team announced that center Mitchell Robinson will be reevaluated in three weeks after he underwent successful surgery to repair the fractured thumb on his right hand.

Robinson was forced to exit Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards in the first quarter after he injured his thumb. Without their rim protector on the floor, the Knicks lost 116-105 to a Wizards team that had lost five of its previous six games.

This isn't the first time Robinson has been sidelined with a hand injury. He suffered a fractured right hand in February 2021 and was limited to 31 games that season.

The fifth-year big man is averaging 7.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting 67.4 percent from the field. Robinson ranks second in the NBA with 4.3 offensive rebounds per game. He has never shot under 65 percent in a season during his NBA career.

The impending absence for the 24-year-old will not be easy for the Knicks' frontcourt to handle. Behind Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims had been splitting minutes with the second unit, though neither of them is considered a stout defender.

There's a likelihood that New York deploys smaller lineups more often, with star forward Julius Randle seeing time at center. The 28-year-old leads the team with averages of 24.2 points and 10.7 rebounds, and he could be in for an even bigger load to shoulder while Robinson is out.

The Knicks will return to action Friday against the Atlanta Hawks (23-22).