Mitchell Robinson Rumors

Knicks Notes: Bridges, Towns, Hart, Shamet, Robinson

January 21st, 2025 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Traded from Brooklyn to New York over the summer, Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has had to adjust to new roles on both sides of the ball this season, as Chris Herring writes for ESPN.com.

On offense, Bridges is handling the ball significantly less than he did with the Nets, with his touches down nearly 20% and his usage rate easily the lowest it’s been since his last full season in Phoenix. On the other end of the court, he has often served as the point-of-attack defender on guards rather than being assigned to bigger wings, which means he’s spending more time chasing smaller players around screens.

“Teams wanted to try attacking him, because it was a different spot for him; especially early on,” one Western Conference scout said to Herring. “If you got past him initially, you could force all sorts of aggressive rotations because the team was still getting used to having (Karl-Anthony) Towns at the rim. And the collective trust didn’t look like it was there.”

While Bridges’ transition remains a work in progress, his offensive numbers have rebounded following an up-and-down start. Since the start of December, he has averaged 20.0 points per game on .523/.385/.757 shooting. He’ll face his old team on Tuesday in the Knicks’ first visit to Brooklyn this season.

“It’ll be just good to be back,” Bridges said on Monday, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “To see my teammates and the coaching staff that was there for a couple months before I got traded. See the staff and everybody. Good energy.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Towns, who missed a pair of games due to a bone chip in his right thumb, was back in action on Monday against Atlanta. Josh Hart was also active after initially being listed as questionable due to a cervical compression that he said had been bothering him for a little while and was aggravated on Friday, according to Bondy. Towns’ injury appeared to be affecting his shot – his 27.8% mark from the field (5-of-18 shooting) was his worst of the season – but both players made it through the contest without setbacks. They’re listed as probable to play against Brooklyn on Tuesday, tweets Bondy.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau expanded his rotation from eight players to nine on Monday, with Landry Shamet earning 10 minutes off the bench after a pair of DNP-CDs, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Bridges was the biggest beneficiary of the move, logging just 27 minutes, well below his season average (a league-high 38.7 MPG). “It’s nice, man,” Bridges said, according to Bondy. “We got a lot of players, 1 through 15. So it’s good.”
Mitchell Robinson, who said just a few days ago that he was down to 268 pounds, said on Monday that he’s now at 265, according to Bondy, who suggests the big man’s weight is notable due to his struggles with fitness and conditioning coming off injuries. According to Begley, he hasn’t heard anything to contradict the “internal hope/belief” that Robinson could return to action in early- to mid-February.

New York Notes: Bogdanovic, Knicks, Nets, Robinson, Achiuwa, Sims

January 20th, 2025 at 5:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bojan Bogdanovic has resumed on-court activities for the Nets, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports. However, he’s still not close to returning to action.

Bogdanovic, acquired from the Knicks in the Mikal Bridges blockbuster, underwent foot and wrist surgery during the offseason. The 35-year-old has an expiring $19MM contract.

We have more on the New York teams:

While the Knicks are probably done making blockbuster deals, they could still make a notable move before the deadline. The Athletic’s James Edwards looks at some potential trades the Knicks could make, then canvasses other Athletic beat writers for their opinions. The most intriguing idea suggested would be a three-way deal with the Pistons and Bulls in which New York lands Isaiah Stewart and Torrey Craig, while Zach LaVine winds up in Detroit.
The Thunder have provided a blueprint for the Nets’ regime to follow, Lewis writes. The Nets have been collecting draft picks and opening up cap space and they can use those draft picks to build long-term sustainable success if they remain patient. They’ve already made necessary but difficult trades, moving veterans for assets. “[The Thunder] have trusted the process,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “You can see they’re a group that believe in what they do, and they trust what they do. And this is because, along a period of time, even if things go one way or the other and there’s adversity, there’s no second-guessing.”
Mitchell Robinson‘s uncertain return as he continues to rehab from foot surgery complicates the Knicks’ trade deadline approach, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. Citing league sources, Popper reports that Robinson is considered a risk by potential suitors without seeing him play before next month’s deadline. He’s not expected to return before that happens, Popper adds. Assuming Robinson is not traded, the Knicks will have a hard time counting on him to stay healthy when he does return. Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims are also potential trade pieces as the Knicks seek to upgrade their bench but they are hesitant to move either one until they know when Robinson will suit up.

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Randle, DiVincenzo, Towns

January 18th, 2025 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson posted on his Instagram account Friday that his weight is down to 268.2 pounds as he awaits medical clearance to begin practicing, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Robinson, who is recovering from ankle surgery last May, is hoping to take part in practice by the end of January, but coach Tom Thibodeau cautioned that there are still several steps remaining.

“Just working individually right now. So he hasn’t been cleared. There will be a progression and it starts with 1-on-0, which is really where he is right now,” Thibodeau said in Friday’s pregame session with the media. “He hasn’t been cleared for contact yet. So that will be the next phase.”

Robinson’s return would be welcome for the Knicks, who have missed having a reliable rim protector. Thibodeau also confirmed that he envisions having Karl-Anthony Towns spend time at power forward to create a pairing with Robinson similar to what he had with Rudy Gobert in Minnesota.

“We feel like with Karl’s comfortable doing both, playing both positions,” Thibodeau said. “So we feel like it will be an added weapon for us.”

There’s more from New York:

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, who made his return to Madison Square Garden on Friday after being traded in October, told Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that he often wonders how good last year’s Knicks could have been if he hadn’t suffered a shoulder injury. Buoyed by a late-December trade for OG Anunoby, New York was tearing through the league before Randle was lost for the season on January 27. “We went into every game expecting to win,” Randle recalled. “Teams would hang around and we would end up winning by like 20 points. It felt like we were starting to get super dominant. We had everything. And everybody’s game was going to the next level. Chemistry was dope. It was unfortunate the injuries happened. But that team was incredible.”
Randle was the only major player from that trade who took part in Friday’s game, notes Steve Popper of Newsday. Donte DiVincenzo was ruled out with a sprained left big toe, while Towns was a late scratch as he recovers from a right thumb injury he suffered Monday. There were no video tributes for Randle or DiVincenzo, according to Popper, as those took place during a preseason contest. “The thing is, it’s actually the third time we played now,” Thibodeau said. “And as time goes on, there’s always going to be that connection — it’s the reality of our league. Like I said, every night, there’s something for somebody. Just stay focused on getting ready to play. But that’s part of his story, part of Julius’ story, part of Donte’s, and that’s what makes the league what it is.”
The Knicks’ reliance on Towns was on display Friday, Popper adds, as they struggled to score without him available. New York is just 2-3 without Towns, who averages 25.4 points and 13.9 rebounds per night.

Atlantic Notes: Quickley, Boucher, Robinson, Nets

January 15th, 2025 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

Immanuel Quickley‘s five-year contract with the Raptors features annual base salaries of $32.5MM, with $2.5MM in additional bonuses per year.

However, those incentives, which are based on various individual and team benchmarks, were considered unlikely to be earned this season and will remain that way in 2025/26, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, who reports (via Twitter) that Quickley won’t play in enough games this season to earn any of his bonuses. That means his ’25/26 cap hit will remain at $32.5MM.

Quickley has dealt with injuries all season long, appearing in just nine of Toronto’s first 40 games in 2024/25. The former Sixth Man of the Year runner-up is currently day-to-day with what the team is calling a left groin strain, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links). He missed Monday’s game against Golden State and has been ruled out for Wednesday’s contest against Boston as well.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the Atlantic Division:

Chris Boucher‘s days with the Raptors may be numbered, given that the 32-year-old is on an expiring contract and probably doesn’t have a place in the rebuilding team’s long-term plans, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Those circumstances make him an in-season trade candidate, but if these are Boucher’s final days in Toronto, he’s making the most of them. As Koreen and Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca detail, the longest-tenured Raptor has averaged 18.3 points in 22.9 minutes per game across his past three outings and led the Raptors to a Monday victory over Golden State with 17 fourth-quarter points.
While Mitchell Robinson‘s recovery from an offseason ankle procedure has taken longer than anticipated, Ian Begley of SNY.tv says there’s still a “solid belief” that the Knicks center’s return isn’t too far off (Twitter video link). Begley suggests it could happen in “early February.” Getting a healthy Robinson back to fortify the center spot would probably be a best-case scenario for the Knicks, according to Begley, but he mentions Wizards big man Jonas Valanciunas as a possible trade target to watch if the club isn’t confident in Robinson’s health.
Cameron Johnson, who had missed five consecutive games due to a right ankle sprain, and D’Angelo Russell, who had been sidelined for four straight with a right shin contusion, both returned to action for the Nets on Tuesday and led the team to a win over Portland, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Johnson is considered Brooklyn’s top remaining trade candidate, so it was good news for his market value that he picked up right where he left off, scoring 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting in 27 minutes against the Blazers.

Knicks Notes: Towns, Sims, Robinson, First-Half Review

January 14th, 2025 at 8:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns suffered an injury to the thumb on his shooting hand during Monday’s loss to Detroit, but he didn’t provide much information about it after the game, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Towns kept his hand in his pocket during a post-game session with reporters and responded, “It is what it is,” four times during the interview.

Towns hit his hand on the backboard during the first half and it appeared to bother him for the rest of the game, Bondy observes. A couple of his subsequent shots misfired badly, but he still played 43 minutes and finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds

His hand was struck again late in the third quarter and he grabbed it in pain as he ran into the crowd, according to Bondy. Towns refused to reveal whether X-rays had been taken, and coach Tom Thibodeau only said, “I haven’t talked to medical yet,” when asked about the injury.

“They hit shots when they had to,” Towns said in explaining the loss. “We could sit here and talk about all the things we could’ve done. We just didn’t do it. Cost us in the end.”

There’s more from New York:

The Knicks are exploring Jericho Sims‘ value on the trade market, sources tell Bondy in a separate story. The backup big man was recently replaced in the rotation by Ariel Hukporti, and he missed Monday’s game due to back spasms. One of Bondy’s sources said there’s some interest around the league in Sims, and the Knicks are seeking a second-round pick in return. That would be a markdown from the offseason, when the team was reportedly asking for two second-rounders. Sims will be a free agent this summer.
Sims’ availability coincides with the impending return of Mitchell Robinson, who is still recovering from offseason ankle surgery, Bondy adds. Thibodeau said Robinson is expected to begin practicing at some point this month, but he still hasn’t been cleared for sprinting. “That’s the next step,” Thibodeau told reporters. “He’s doing some light shooting right now.”
Towns has opened up the offense since arriving in an October trade with Minnesota, James L. Edwards of The Athletic states in a review of the first half of the season. The Knicks are 26-15 through their first 41 games, good for third place in the East, as Edwards notes that the shooting efficiency has been much better and they’ve been able to avoid serious injuries. On the downside, there have been too many defensive breakdowns, the bench isn’t producing enough to earn Thibodeau’s trust, and the team only ranks 24th in three-point attempts per game.

Knicks Notes: Hart, All-Stars, McBride, Robinson, Centers

January 4th, 2025 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks forward Josh Hart is having the best season of his nine-year NBA career, averaging personal bests of 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, along with a career-high 57.1% mark on field goal attempts. His 14.6 points per game and 38.2% three-point rate are also well above his career rates, and he has been a positive asset defensively for the 24-11 Knicks.

As Steve Popper of Newsday writes, teammate Karl-Anthony Towns believes Hart has a real All-Star case. Hart himself is less convinced — and suggested he’d be perfectly happy to be excluded and take advantage of his vacation time during All-Star week.

“I can get an All-Star? Hell no,” Hart said. “I feel like they appreciate what I do but like I said, my game is not glitz and glamour that breeds that kind of accolade. And I’m fine with that. I’m a servant to these guys. I want to make sure they’re good. I want them to get the accolades. I want to have my toes to touch some sand come February.”

Hart admitted it would be “amazing” to earn All-Star recognition, but he pointed to Jalen Brunson and Towns as the Knicks’ likely representatives and made a case for the team’s other two starters ahead of himself.

“(Mikal Bridges) and OG (Anunoby) would be more than deserving,” Hart said. “I think that’s on us to continue to win and continue to highlight those guys and show what they can do on both sides of the ball. So we got to continue to win for that to happen and make sure we sacrifice so those guys can be in that position.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

In a battle of red-hot clubs, the Knicks had their nine-game winning streak snapped on Friday by a Thunder team that won its ninth straight contest. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic takes a closer look at the matchup, writing that the Knicks continue to trend in the right direction despite being unable to record a signature win.
Knicks guard Miles McBride missed a second consecutive game on Friday due to a hamstring strain. Referring to the injury as “frustrating”, he told Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that he’s playing it safe with his recovery because he doesn’t want to risk making things worse. “Just seeing how it feels. It’s tough with hamstrings,” McBride said. “Those type of injuries, you don’t want to rush it. But I’m progressing.”
A number of teams have been inquiring about the health of Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who says three clubs he spoke to recently didn’t gain any clarity on the subject. Although Robinson is a potential trade candidate, Begley believes New York’s preferred outcome would be for the big man to get healthy and finish out the season with the team, since his value on the court would exceed his value on the trade market due to concerns about his surgically repaired feet.
If the Knicks aren’t confident about Robinson’s ability to get healthy and stay healthy, Jonas Valanciunas, Goga Bitadze, and Nick Richards are among the centers the team may be interested in, Begley says, noting that all three of those big man were on New York’s radar last summer.

Injury Notes: Pelicans, Lakers, Celtics, Ivey, M. Robinson

January 2nd, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past 23 games with a left hamstring strain, Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado says he plans to return to action on Friday vs. Washington, as Will Guillory of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).

“I’ll be playing tomorrow for sure,” Alvarado said. “No doubt. … I finally get to be Jose again. It’s going to be a lot of crazy man out there.”

Both of the Pelicans’ injured star forwards — Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson — were spotted getting some on-court work in after Thursday’s practice, according to Guillory (Twitter video links).

Williamson has been out since Nov. 6 with a left hamstring strain and was considered week-to-week nine days ago. Ingram, who has been out since Dec. 7 due to a “significant” left ankle sprain, is set to be reevaluated next week.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Anthony Davis (left ankle sprain) and Gabe Vincent (left oblique strain) are unlikely to suit up on Thursday when the Lakers host Portland, according to Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (Twitter link). Both players have been downgraded to doubtful after initially being listed as questionable.
The Celtics have downgraded Jaylen Brown (right shoulder strain) and Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle sprain) from questionable to out for Thursday’s game in Minnesota, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Porzingis, who will miss his fourth consecutive game with the injury, said he was “definitely getting close” to returning following shootaround in the afternoon, per Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter link). Thursday will mark Brown’s first absence with the shoulder issue and sixth missed game overall.
Jaden Ivey underwent surgery on Thursday morning to repair the broken fibula in his left leg after sustaining the injury on Wednesday. Although Ivey will reportedly miss most — if not all — of the rest of the season, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press hears there’s optimism the Pistons guard did not sustain ligament or tendon damage, which is encouraging news (Twitter link).
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has yet to make his season debut as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery. Although he hasn’t been able to run at full speed to this point, head coach Tom Thibodeau said the team is expecting Robinson to be cleared for practices “sometime this month,” according to SNY.tv.

Knicks Notes: Valanciunas, Anunoby, Offense, Lessort

December 31st, 2024 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

Mitchell Robinson‘s ongoing recovery from a May ankle procedure initially described as minor has led to speculation that the Knicks will be seeking frontcourt help ahead of the February 6 trade deadline, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Examining a few potential targets who could appeal to New York, Bondy zeroes in on Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, who played well off the bench in a loss to the Knicks on Monday, putting up 22 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes.

Speaking to Bondy on Monday, Valanciunas suggested the Knicks had some interest in him in free agency, though the three-year, $30.3MM deal he signed with Washington likely would’ve been out of New York’s price range based on the team’s cap limitations.

“I don’t know how serious that was,” Valanciunas said of the Knicks’ interest. “My agent was handling. I heard something from that side. But there’s a lot of X’s and O’s. Salary cap issues, this and that. Strategic stuff. Every team does what they think is the best for them.”

Asked about the possibility of being dealt before Feb. 6, Valanciunas made it clear he’s focused on helping the Wizards, not trade rumors: “What can happen in the future, maybe tomorrow, maybe even today, I don’t know. If it happens, it happens. It’s a young team still putting the pieces together. Everything can happen. They wanted me, they showed some trust in me, so I’m happy here.”

In addition to exploring whether a Valanciunas trade would make sense for the Knicks, Bondy identifies Nick Richards, Robert Williams, Kelly Olynyk, and Daniel Theis as other centers on lottery-bound teams who will likely be available via trade this season.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

New York’s win over Washington on Monday came on the one-year anniversary of the OG Anunoby trade and improved the team’s overall regular season record in games Anunoby has played to 43-13, Bondy writes in another New York Post story. The club gave up two quality players (RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley) in the trade and had to offer $212.5MM in guaranteed money to re-sign Anunoby, but the move has been a “home-run deal” for president Leon Rose, according to Bondy, given how well the forward has performed – and fit – since arriving in New York.
Jalen Brunson‘s 55-point game in Washington on Saturday made the Knicks the first team in NBA history to have four different players score at least 40 points in a game before January 1, according to Bondy. While head coach Tom Thibodeau laughed at the “qualifiers” included in that stat, he acknowledged that it reflects his team’s well-balanced offensive attack and willingness to make the right play. “It’s a testament to all those guys because it’s all about their willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of the team,” Thibodeau said. “And so one night, someone has it going or one guy has a better matchup, whatever it might be. And then the game oftentimes dictates who’s gonna get the shot. So just make the right play. Make winning plays. And if we do that and prioritize the team and winning, good things will always come from that.”
French big man Mathias Lessort, whose NBA rights are held by the Knicks, has signed a three-year extension with the Greek club Panathinaikos worth approximately 2.75 million Euros per season and is now under contract until 2028, per Stavros Barbarousis of Eurohoops. It’s unclear what sort of NBA outs might be included in Lessort’s new deal or whether eventually coming stateside is still in play for the 29-year-old.

Knicks Notes: Shamet, Towns, Brunson, Robinson

December 29th, 2024 at 11:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Now that he’s back with the Knicks, Landry Shamet talked to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post about the injury that nearly cost him his latest NBA opportunity. Shamet was on his way to earning a roster spot in October when he dislocated his shoulder four days before the final cuts had to be made. Because his contract wasn’t guaranteed, the team let him go to give him time to heal, then re-signed him last week.

“There’s stretches in the first week where it’s just really acute and I can’t even lift my arm to wash under my arms or brush my teeth,” Shamet said. “There’s periods of time where you’re like, ‘God,’ And that’s what I talk about with the mental piece. Not only are you dealing with injury, rehabbing something you’ve never dealt with before, but now you’re away from your teams, kind of out of rhythm. So that part could be challenging. And there were days for sure where it was pretty bleak. Like, ‘Groundhog Day.’ Like, ‘Ahh, we’re still here. It still hurts.’ But then you had days where there were big jumps and you’re like, ‘OK.’ So both feelings were prevalent.”

Shamet could have opted for surgery, but after consulting with doctors he chose to let the shoulder heal naturally so he could resume playing more quickly. Bondy notes that the non-surgical path was a risky option, and it didn’t work for Julius Randle when he suffered a similar injury last season.

Shamet has seen his playing time gradually increase in his three games since returning, and he appears headed for a place in the rotation after posting seven points and two steals in 10 minutes Friday night. Shamet provides another veteran at the wing who can help reduce the burden on the starting lineup.

There’s more from New York:

Karl-Anthony Towns has been a tremendous addition for the Knicks, but he hasn’t been able to shake the foul problems that often plagued him in Minnesota, Bondy notes in a separate story. Coach Tom Thibodeau wants Towns to be more focused about avoiding unnecessary fouls that can force him to come out of games. “There’s good aggressive fouls and there’s fouls that are obviously cheap that you have to clean up,” Thibodeau said. “I think that’s the important thing for him to understand — the difference between the two and how it’s being called.”
Jalen Brunson heard some “MVP” chants Saturday night at Washington as he scored 55 points in an overtime victory, per Steve Popper of Newsday. It was Brunson’s third 50-point game since joining the Knicks, which ties him for second in franchise history. “We needed it,” Josh Hart said. “This one was a tough one for us. Back-to-back. I felt a little old today. So a lot of us felt the same way. We were a little slow. But he made big shots. That’s why he’s the captain. Find a way to win.”
It looks like Mitchell Robinson will be sidelined until at least late January, so it could be hard to trade him by the February 6 deadline, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic states in a mailbag column. Edwards expects the Knicks to look for another center on the trade market, and he suggests that Isaiah Stewart would fit well with the current roster if the Pistons would accept Robinson and Precious Achiuwa in return.

Injury Notes: Lillard, B. Brown, Poeltl, Stewart, M. Robinson

December 28th, 2024 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Damian Lillard, who has missed the Bucks‘ past four games due to a calf issue and an illness, will return to action on Saturday against Chicago, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (via Twitter).

Speaking to reporters after today’s shootaround, Lillard explained that the calf injury, which caused him to miss games last Friday and Saturday, was a “mild” strain and that the illness which sidelined him on Monday and Thursday hit him much harder, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).

“I’ve never been that sick before in my entire life,” Lillard said. “I wasn’t throwing up, nothing. I just didn’t eat for two days. I didn’t eat at all. I didn’t get up, nothing. I was down. It was bad. Couple days ago, I tried to work out – the night before (Thursday’s) Brooklyn game, because I wanted to play against Brooklyn – but I mean, the whole time I was working out, it just kept making me cough, coughing up s–t. I got through the workout, but I couldn’t breathe good.

“… I lost a couple pounds. I mean, if you don’t eat for two days. And I was just trying to at least stay hydrated. … (But) I didn’t have no food in me, it was just all liquid, so obviously I dropped some weight.”

Here are a few more health updates from around the NBA:

Raptors swingman Bruce Brown, who has been sidelined for the entire season while recovering from a knee procedure, is listed as questionable to make his season debut on Sunday vs. Atlanta, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Starting center Jakob Poeltl, out since December 16 due to a bilateral groin strain, is among several other Toronto players who are questionable to play on Sunday, Lewenberg notes.
Pistons center Isaiah Stewart is probable to suit up on Saturday vs. Denver after missing the team’s past four games due to a hyperextended left knee, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Before getting injured in his 27th game of the season on Dec. 16, Stewart had appeared in each of Detroit’s first 26 contests, averaging 22.0 minutes per night.
Although Mitchell Robinson still hasn’t been cleared for practice or even started sprinting at full speed, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is encouraged by the center’s rehab progress as he makes his way back from offseason ankle surgery, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “There’s still some benchmarks that he has to get through, but he’s done a terrific job,” Thibodeau said on Friday in Orlando. “He’s light, he’s lean, he’s worked extremely hard. So we just want to make sure we’re patient and let him work his way through it.” According to Thibodeau, the next phase for Robinson is full-speed running — after that, he’ll be cleared for practice and contact. However, the exact timeline for those steps is still unclear.