How will Knicks fill huge hole left by Mitchell Robinson's injury?

The Knicks took their first big injury hit of the season when Mitchell Robinson went down with an ankle injury over the weekend, which will keep him out for at least eight-to-10 weeks. 

New York’s starting center was having a career year, performing at an All-Defensive First Team level and putting up historic offensive rebounding stats.

Robinson was averaging 6.2 points and 10.3 rebounds in a career-high 29.2 minutes a night on 59.2 percent shooting before the injury. But his impact was much larger than his counting stats convey.

The Knicks currently rank ninth defensively, and were higher on the list prior to two stinkers against the Eastern Conference's elite. That was in no small part thanks to Robinson’s defensive omnipresence.

In five seasons, Robinson has grown from hyperactive block chaser to hyper-intelligent all-around anchor, evidenced by his blocks and fouls per-36 minutes cratering to career lows. The former may not seem like a good thing on its face, but he’s prioritized positioning and sound contests over swinging at everything around the rim, evolving his play.

He’s exchanged blocks for steals, better utilizing his crazy length to crowd lanes and deflect passes. He’s at 1.9 steals per-36 minutes, third among Knicks rotation guys in deflections per-36 minutes, and is second among centers in steals per 100 possessions.

His offensive rebounding is unmatched, as his current collection rate would be fifth-highest for a single season since 1974. The additional opportunities created and opponent transition chances killed are a huge swing factor in tight games.

It won’t be easy for the Knicks to make up this production, but thankfully they have one of the best backup centers in the game in Isaiah Hartenstein. He won’t start in place of Robinson in order for the Knicks to maintain rotational integrity and his strong chemistry with the bench unit, but will be critical in the coming months.

Hartenstein can’t replace Robinson’s production, but the Knicks are in good hands at least. Last year, New York went 12-11 with Robinson out, keeping afloat with his reserves at the helm.

The two share similar defensive rebounding rates, and while Hartenstein can’t replicate Robinson’s ridiculous offensive boarding, he’s no slacker on that end. What he lacks in athleticism he makes up for with his offensive touch and passing ability, which should give the starters some extra dynamism on that end.

He’ll keep his role off the bench while closing games, with Jericho Sims slotting into the starting five but playing fewer minutes, just like last season. How Sims holds up will determine if the Knicks stay the course.

The third-year man hasn’t played much outside of garbage time this year, but had a decent start against the Raptors on Monday. He’s not as mobile or savvy as Robinson, but can be a major lob threat and is tough to score on if he’s in position.

If New York looks in another direction, it could pick up another big via trade or free agency. Two of their former backups -- Taj Gibson and Nerlens Noel -- aren’t on NBA rosters.

They could also explore trading for Kelly Olynyk or Richaun Holmes, but giving up assets for a two-month rental shouldn’t be necessary. They should also consider some smaller lineups with Julius Randle at the five.

Injuries will end up biting every team in the league, and right now it’s the Knicks’ turn. But competitive teams are forged when things go wrong, not when everything’s smooth, so this is when New York has to prove its mettle.