It's official! A fracture in the right little finger! The Knicks' top interior defender

Amid the Knicks' first Finals appearance in 27 years, unfortunate news has surfaced...

Mitchell Robinson has a fractured right little finger, and there is currently no return timeline.

Injury specialist Jeff Stotts stated, "If Robinson avoids surgery, the absence is roughly 9 days; if surgery is required, he will be out about 34 days."

However, given that he is a typical blue-collar player who rarely participates in offense, this injury should not necessarily keep him sidelined. As long as proper precautions are taken, he is expected to appear in the Finals as scheduled—if not now, then when?

Born on April 1, 1998, Robinson is a 7-foot-1 center with a 7-foot-4 wingspan. Selected as the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2018 draft, he has played 397 regular-season games (215 starts) over eight seasons, averaging only about 50 games per year. His fragility has long been a concern.

In the regular season this year, Robinson appeared in 60 games (16 starts), averaging 19.6 minutes, 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds (4.2 offensive boards, second in the league), and 1.2 blocks, shooting 72.3% from the field. In the playoffs so far, he has played 13 games all off the bench, averaging 14.2 minutes, 5.3 points, 5.5 rebounds (2.5 offensive boards), and shooting 73.7%.

He is a true rebound monster. As the Knicks' best interior stopper, Robinson's importance cannot be fully captured by stats. Especially in the physically demanding playoffs, he is an indispensable piece in the team's championship pursuit.

Looking at the Knicks' overall situation,So far, they lead the league in points per game (119.9), points allowed (100.6), assists per game (26.7), field goal percentage (51.5%), interior scoring (53.3), three-point percentage (40%), fast break points (17.6), second-chance points (17.7), offensive rating (123.3), defensive rating (103.5), and true shooting percentage (62.4%).

The numbers show that the Knicks possess both the sharpest offensive weapon and the toughest defensive shield among all playoff teams. However, whether they can maintain that level of dominance against a potential Finals opponent like the Thunder or Spurs remains a big question mark.