NBA Rumors: New York Knicks Making Big Mistake Not Signing Nate Robinson

New York Knicks' rookie guard Iman Shumpert is expected to miss two to four weeks with a knee injury, and the team is making a massive mistake by not signing free-agent guard Nate Robinson to help the depth and talent of the bench.

The Knicks instead claimed free-agent point guard Jeremy Lin off of waivers in a laughable move that won't help them much at all.

Robinson provides instant offense off the bench and can shoot very well from the outside. He also brings an energy off the bench that invigorates his teammates when the team is stalling or not playing with enough pace.

Robinson is also capable of playing point guard and shooting guard, which would give the Knicks a bit more versatility off the bench.

Lin is not going to give the Knicks a ton of offense or tremendous defense off the bench, and despite his high basketball IQ (he is a Harvard graduate), he won't be a difference-maker at either end of the floor.

Robinson is not a terrible defender, and his passing skills are underrated. He played on the Knicks for four seasons before being traded to the Boston Celtics during the 2009-10 season.

He knows what it's like to play on the big New York stage, and he had many good games for the Knicks.

Many people think Nate is high maintenance, but that's a bunch of crap. In the right situation, Robinson is a very effective player. He won't moan and groan if he's not starting because even he knows a starting position is not a realistic option for him.

He would not come into Madison Square Garden and play a major role, but he can be a very effective scorer off the bench, especially when Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire have difficult nights scoring.

With the Celtics in 2010, Robinson played very well in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, and proved he could play an important role on a contending team.

With the Knicks poised to do big things this season, Robinson would give them experience, scoring and versatility off the bench. That's a combination too good New York to pass up.

Nicholas Goss is an NBA Featured Columnist, follow him on Twitter.

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