GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- The Knicks went out on a limb and selected Mystery Man Mitchell Robinson with the No. 36 pick in the NBA Draft.
The 7-foot-1 Robinson hasn't played a meaningful game since the Jordan Brand Classic in New York City in April 2017, where he scored 15 points on 7-for-7 shooting.
The Louisiana native originally committed to Texas A&M, and then chose Western Kentucky but never played there. He withdrew from Western Kentucky last summer, and said he would train for the NBA Draft instead. However, he skipped the recent NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, which raised more questions about his NBA readiness.
"He's a bit of an unknown," ESPN's Jay Bilas said on air. "A lot of people think he could be like a Clint Capella-type player. That could be his role model to mature into in time."
Bilas called him a "first-round talent" and a "very, very talented player," but added, "The only question is what's his motor like? Is he going to play hard all the time? Is he going to find consistency?"
Marcell Scott, Robinson's trainer, said the Knicks "got a steal."
"Freakishly athletic and has a good touch," he told SNY.tv. "He is a great shot-blocker that can get up and down the court easily. We worked on his individual game, and made him bigger, stronger and faster. We also worked on his three-point shooting. He's a great guy, with great potential. The Knicks got a steal."
Still, one source close to Robinson had doubts about how soon he can help the Knicks.
"Elite athleticism/length, elite rim protector, very raw offensively and average feel for the game," the source said. "Can't help the Knicks offensively until year 2 or 3 at least."
Robinson seemed to know he had to impress going forward, telling ESPN.com recently, "I'm just gonna have to kill the workouts."
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