The frustration is mounting as the New York Knicks moved further under .500 with a loss to the 76ers. Mitchell Robinson was not pleased.
Time and patience are finite in the NBA, and especially in New York. Young center Mitchell Robinson is learning the hard way that bad teams don’t get calls and rarely do they ever get breaks in the NBA.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: The New York Knicks blew a double-digit lead to the Philadelphia 76ers. For the second time in a week, the Knicks fell to Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and the 76ers. Robinson, tasked with slowing down Embiid, grabbed five fouls to go along with just three points and an unusually poor night from the free-throw line.
After the game, Robinson, who seemed upset with some of the calls during the game, took to social media to voice his displeasure.
Via Robinson’s Instagram, the 21-year old Louisiana native has been upset with the way that officials have been calling fouls on him. Unfortunately, this is a trend that has continued since last season.
ESNY’s own Josh Benjamin, in his latest piece, referenced the fact that Robinson posted just under six fouls per 36 minutes last season. This season that total is up to 6.3 fouls.
Furthermore, last season, Robinson accumulated 217 fouls in 66 games. At his current pace, he would have 212 fouls in 60 games. For such an important piece to the Knicks’ future, Robinson has to learn how to play physical without fouling.
But Mitch’s protest is also a sign that the dam of frustration is carrying a lot of weight these days. Every game, it seems that players are complaining more about the official’s calls and less about their own play. This is a team with talent, and they’ve played better of late, but the time for moral victories is running out.
