After ending a 53-year-long championship drought, the New York Knicks were celebrated throughout the city. Despite their success in the NBA Finals, however, Knicks owner James Dolan has faced some backlash for the team’s roster management this offseason.
James Dolan was clear in stating that the team would do everything possible to avoid the second tax apron this offseason. Needless to say, this meant sacrifices. But the fact that a player like Mitchell Robinson was allowed to walk in free agency wasn’t viewed favorably by the fan base.
On a recent episode of the “Game Over” podcast, host Max Kellerman sounded off on James Dolan and the Knicks’ dealings with Mitchell Robinson, stating:
“There’s one of two options here if you own [a team], especially the New York Knicks. If $50-$90 million in tax money is too much for you to pay, even though the equity of the team is shooting through the roof, even though it’s in the black every year, then one of two things: Either you are too poor to own the team, i.e., sell the team, or, since we know that’s not the case with Dolan, you’re selfish, cheap, and greedy.”
Kellerman’s critique of Dolan’s business practices, especially in light of winning the NBA championship, was laced with vitriol. Surprisingly, however, Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul came to Dolan’s defense and commented:
“Let me say this. I disagree, Max, and I think you’re misreading the thing with Dolan and the Knicks. Let’s look at it from the other side of the coin. If you evaluate the season, if you evaluate the player, if you evaluate the impact, his offensive rebounding and things like that. But at the same time, if the team goes into the penalty, whenever that is, that he’s in the game, that changes the game because you’re going into the Hack-a-Mitchell situation.”
Although Paul gives Mitchell Robinson credit where it’s due for his rebounding and defensive impact, he very specifically pinpoints Robinson’s poor free-throw shooting and how it affects his reliability in late-game situations.
Needless to say, Kellerman wasn’t too convinced by this. However, Paul continued:
“It doesn’t matter… You’re basically telling me to go into the second apron for a role player who plays a role for this many minutes in only this part of a game. I may not want to do that. I may not need to do that and still be successful, because you’ve got to look at it holistically.”
Strangely, it seemed as if Paul was underplaying Mitchell Robinson’s role in helping the Knicks lift the title. Although he lauded the player for his contributions, he minimized his role to a “backup big man.”
Kellerman correctly disputed this when he noted how the Celtics pursued and signed the big man in free agency, successfully bolstering their frontcourt rotation. Given that Robinson signed a three-year, $47.4 million deal, it is apparent Boston valued him more.
Although Kellerman reiterated that James Dolan’s actions were miserly, Paul continued to defend the Knicks’ owner, highlighting that only players like Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges would have been worth going into the second apron for.
On paper, Paul’s outlook could be justified. Even though Robinson was immensely impactful in the playoffs, his regular-season averages of 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 1.2 blocks do not look as impressive. When also factoring in the recurring injury concerns surrounding the big man, one may question his reliability as an asset.
While the sources suggest that Mitchell Robinson’s departure was ultimately a result of the Knicks’ unwillingness to go into the second tax apron, a cryptic comment by the big man suggests something more is at play.
For the most part, there is no guarantee that these details will ever come to light. However, what is certain is that the Knicks’ center rotation has suffered a massive blow following Robinson’s departure.
