The league knows... as well as we here, on these boards, and everywhere in the tri-state area, and beyond in the entire realm of blue and orange Knikcerbockerdom:
Robinson leads the NBA in field-goal percentage (73.5). In fact, if the season ended today, Mitchell?s field-goal rate would rank as highest in league history ? topping Wilt Chamberlain?s 72.7 from 1972-73.
?Starting not starting, it doesn?t matter,?? Robinson said. ?I?m just here to play and play hard. If I start it?s cool. If not, not going to cry about.??
The New Orleans product acknowledged he has hit his career peak. ?I?m playing better than I have before,?? Robinson said. ?I?m more controlled. Last year I was kind of wild. I wasn?t really stable you could say.?
Robinson credited ?having Taj around?? to help his ?focus?? that is sky high.
(Berman / NY Post)
?Starting, not starting, it doesn?t really matter to me,? he said. ?I?m just here to play, play hard, help my teammates out. If I start the game, cool. If I don?t, oh, well, I?m not going to cry about it. But I?m still going to go out there and play hard.?
?As far as his mentality approaching the game, like I told him before the game, take it personal,? Gibson said. ?These guys are around your age. You?re going to see them for years. Every game is a battle, every game is a test. Step up to the test. He didn?t let up. He was focused and in tune. That?s what I love about him. He understands the importance of getting better, how serious you have to take this game on a night-to-night basis.?
Robinson realizes that his role can benefit Gibson.
?Taj is old,? Robinson said. ?So I?ve got to kind of give my guy a break. Me and [Bobby Portis] have to step our game up so Taj can recover. We?re younger. Way younger. So we?ve really got to look out for him.?
(Popper /Newsday)
1- Don?t go to college, enter league on his own terms, and, despite not playing an official game in like eighteen months, prove they can?t hold a second round pick down. CHECK!
2- Improve from Year-1 to show enough promise by the end of Year-2, to be encouraged that those flashes will begin to flutter at a more furious pace. Be consistent, stay on the court. Be in control, be something on offense. CHECK!
Just imagine how he grows this Summer.
It?s clicking now. He turns 22 in April. He?s going to a good player by Sept, and a monster by 9/2021.
Mitchell Robinson!
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