Knicks' Mitchell Robinson: May be eyeing pre-break return

The Knicks are optimistic that Robinson (ankle) will be ready to make his season debut by early-to-mid-February, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports.

New York has yet to issue a formal update on Robinson as he works his way back from May 13 surgery on his left ankle, but Begley spotted the 26-year-old center in the Knicks' locker room during Monday's win over the Hawks and relays that Robinson looked noticeably slimmer than his listed weight of 278 pounds from the 2023-24 season. Begley's observation could indicate that the big man has been staying on top of his conditioning, but as of last week, Robinson hadn't yet resumed sprinting on his surgically repaired ankle. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has previously intimated that Robinson will start practicing by the end of the month, and if that comes to fruition, a return shortly before the All-Star break could be in the cards. Once healthy, Robinson will likely supplant Precious Achiuwa as the primary backup to starting center Karl-Anthony Towns.