Knicks F Mitchell Robinson hasn't played organized basketball for 14 months, but even that hasn't made it easier for head coach David Fizdale to contain his excitement.
The Knicks drafted Robinson in the second round (No. 36 overall) and came under light criticism due to the fact that the player decided to skip college basketball. Robinson decided to use the time to train.
"Man, is he athletic," Fizdale said, via Marc Berman of NY Post. "You would've thought he was playing the whole time. That's how solid he's been."
Robinson has two summer league practices under his belt and has left a favorable first impression on Fizdale.
"No, I have not seen rust," Fizdale said. "As crazy as it is. I was just talking to [player developmental director] Craig Robinson about it. I was going to think this kid's timing would be off or there would be a lot of stuff we have to stop for him and teach. Kid's got pretty good feel for the game. He's in great shape. And athletically, he's a freak. He's in the 1 percentile of high flyers and runners. There's just not many guys who are that athletic."
Not much will be expected out of Robinson this season, especially early on.
"He is a fun project," Fizdale said, "I'll tell you that."