A lot of Boston Celtics fans seem to be pushing the panic button on Mitchell Robinson. And while it's fair to say he has been underwhelming (5.5 points and just 4.8 rebounds in 20.5 minutes across four games as a starter; looks slower than usual; is getting regularly beat on the boards; and his poor free-throw shooting nearly cost Boston a game against the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 27), he hasn't been nearly as bad as it's made to seem.
Plus, this is his first year on a new team and in a new system, he hasn't been a full-time starter in a few years, and he is dealing with an ankle injury (and the championship hangover might be real, even if he's on a different team). He's going to need time to find his footing in Boston, and fans should expect that he will.
Mitchell Robinson has been underwhelming, but he's been fine
Robinson was less-than-stellar during his Celtics debut (four points, three rebounds, one assist, two blocks, and a steal in 18 minutes, and he struggled defensively against Jalen Duren), but he has been much better since, averaging 6 points and 5.3 rebounds, and his defense/physicality has improved (just see this incredible sequence against his former team in the second game of the season; he's starting to make an impact on both sides of the ball).
Half of his rebounds have been on the offensive side of the ball, so he's still making an impact where the Celtics need him to, and he was never a threat to score double digits every night.
He is also shooting 76.9% from the field this season. Even if it's on low volume (10-for-13 in total through four games), that is incredible efficiency.
To be clear, the 28-year-old still hasn't been great. He hasn't been as ferocious on the boards as everyone expected, and there is a fair debate to be had about whether Boston would be better off inserting Neemias Queta back into the lineup as its starting center.
But it's also way too early to panic, especially because we know what Robinson is capable of. He is one of the greatest offensive rebounders the NBA has ever seen, and just a few months ago, he played a big role in the New York Knicks' championship victory. It's not like he just forgot how to be that player overnight. He also probably just needs more time to get acclimated and heal from his ankle injury.
The Celtics still need to see more from Robinson as soon as possible, but it's important to be patient with him. This is likely the worst he's going to play all year, and if he can be anything close to what he was for the Knicks last season, then he is going to be a very impactful player in Boston.
Add us as a preferred source on Google