SPRAIN CHECK
Ankle injury could KO Robinson from opener
SAN ANTONIO — Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, who had ankle issues last season, may miss the season opener against the Spurs on Wednesday due to a sprained right ankle.
At Monday’s practice, Robinson rolled the ankle after leaping for an offensive rebound. After not practicing Tuesday, he is listed as questionable.
He was to start at center, but now coach David Fizdale is expected to consider many options, including shuffling it all up and placing wing Allonzo Trier into the starting lineup and perhaps moving Julius Randle to center. That would keep new signee Bobby Portis, Robinson’s backup, with the second unit.
“It affects a lot of stuff, especially our defense,” Fizdale said. “Hopefully he’s young and it heals fast and can go out there. I don’t think he needs any of that [an MRI exam or Xrays]. It’s just a regular sprain.”
Robinson, a 2018 secondround steal, had a revelatory rookie season, but he didn’t go unscathed. Robinson missed 16 games with two separate ankle sprains, but still earned second-team allrookie honors. He also sat out most of the U.S. Select Team’s training camp in August with a knee injury.
Robinson finished second in the league with 2.44 blocks per game and set the franchise rookie record with 161 blocks.
The Knicks could be severely shorthanded if veteran Taj Gibson also misses the game, but his chances of playing are stronger. Gibson returned to practice Tuesday after missing Monday’s sessions due to a sprained calf. The Brooklyn product is the Knicks’ elder statesman at 34 years old and one of their best defenders.
➤ Fizdale said he would decide on his starting point guard Wednesday, and there’s even been suggestions of using RJ Barrett there with Robinson out. El
frid Payton is the most accomplished and had the best preseason, but the Knicks have more invested in Dennis Smith Jr., the key piece of the Kristaps
Porzingis trade. Frank Ntilikina is also in the mix. “They’ve all been competing their butts off and fighting for it,” Fizdale said. “That’s a good deal for me having this tough decision.”
➤ A year ago, Fizdale embarked on his first season wondering if he’d ever have the rehabbing Porzingis. The center, who missed all of last season following 2018 knee surgery, will make his debut for the Mavericks on Wednesday night three hours up the road in Dallas, which hosts Washington. Porzingis requested a trade from the Knicks last winter and never played for his new team.
“I never got my hopes too high up,’’ Fizdale said. “Because we didn’t even know if he was going to come back and play that year. So I had already gotten my mind wrapped around that worstcase scenario. We were hopeful, but we didn’t know if he was going to play that year. That’s a hard injury and it’s good to see him back out there running around again.’’