The Los Angeles Lakers want to upgrade at center this offseason, and Mitchell Robinson proved he can’t be the answer in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The New York Knicks needed more from Mitch Rob after Karl-Anthony Towns got in early foul trouble, but head coach Mike Brown ended up going to third-string center Ariel Hukporti for a stretch because Robinson could handle significant run. The soon-to-be free agent got tired, and his disastrous free-throw shooting forced Brown’s hand.
Robinson averaged 4.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per game through the first three contests of the NBA Finals. The San Antonio Spurs outscored the Knicks by 27 points in his first 34 minutes of action. The seven-footer is a strong rebounder and screener, but the Lakers want to win a championship. He had issues in the first three games, and things got worse on Wednesday night.
Robinson had two points, five rebounds, and two blocks in Game 4 as the Knicks were outscored by 14 in his 13 minutes of action. He made just one of his five field goal attempts and missed all four tries from the foul line. KAT was limited to 26 minutes, and Robinson still barely played. The Lakers won’t have that luxury.
Mitchell Robinson has played his way off the Lakers' radar in the NBA Finals
Los Angeles has cap space this summer, and Robinson is arguably the best unrestricted free agent center. It is a weak crop. The other top names are Robert Williams III, Nikola Vucevic, and Jusuf Nurkic. None of those are answers for the Lakers.
Luka Doncic wants a lob threat and rim protector at the five. The blueprint for building around him is clear. The Lakers have to find players to maximize their superstar's game. Their best hopes at center are stealing Jalen Duren or Walker Kessler in restricted free agency or making a trade for a Deandre Ayton upgrade.
The Lakers can’t run it back with Ayton. The former number one overall draft pick struggled on defense and proved he wasn’t the answer in the playoffs. Chet Holmgren dominated Ayton in the second round of the playoffs as the Thunder swept Los Angeles.
Robinson is displaying similar issues. They would have to give the seven-footer near the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to convince him to come to the Lakers. LA can’t be paying $15-plus million per year for a big man that can only play 15 minutes per game in the playoffs. The Lakers would need another center option to pair with Robinson that simply isn’t available.
It hasn’t just been the NBA Finals. Robinson averaged 5.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in just 13.6 minutes per game in the playoffs before Game 4 of the finals. The Lakers need a starting-caliber option. Robinson would get easy buckets from Luka, but paying significantly for someone who has to play a limited role isn’t the answer.
That makes no mention of the biggest issue. Mitch Rob is 42 of 107 or just 39.3 percent from the free throw line in the playoffs. Teams are resorting to the Hack-a-Mitch strategy. The Lakers don’t want the big man throwing off Luka’s offensive rhythm with a parade to the free-throw line.
The Los Angeles Lakers can’t sign Mitchell Robinson in free agency after he proved that he can’t play a starting role in the playoffs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Knicks stole Game 4 with an incredible fourth quarter comeback, but it was all with Robinson on the bench. New York needed Mitch Rob to step up, and he could not. At least, the Lakers got their answer before it was too late.
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