Congratulations to the New York Knicks for winning their first title since 1973. They didn't just go on a title run; they straight up dominated. No one is here to take that away from them, but rather, how the Boston Celtics can get in their way: by taking Mitchell Robinson away from them.
This topic has been delved into before. Hence, we'll do our best not to repeat what's already been said. Rather, let's take you back to 2019. The Celtics were coming off a disastrous season with so much uncertainty about where the team would go.
A lot of that stemmed from uncertainty about whether Al Horford would stay. It sounds ridiculous now, but back then, with him approaching his mid-30s, there were doubts about how much longer he could keep up. TLDR: he went to the Philadelphia 76ers, which hurt for more reasons than leaving.
Horford went to the one team that he did arguably the most damage to. How much he threw the Sixers off their groove made many think Philadelphia was simultaneously trying to improve themselves while hurting Boston. They succeeded in one of those areas.
It's hard not to wonder what could have been if the Celtics had retained Horford in 2019, but now they have the chance to do to the Knicks what the Sixers did to them by taking Robinson away.
Adding Robinson would help the Celtics & hurt the Knicks
Robinson has also earned a reputation of being a Celtics killer. His tenacity on the boards played a pretty crucial role in how the Knicks upset the Celtics in last year's postseason. That only continued this season, as his presence may not have been the biggest factor in the Knicks' championship, but he's an ingredient that New York can't easily replace.
Much like Horford was when the Sixers took him away from the Celtics. On the Celtics, Robinson would have a specialist type role where he would likely spell minutes with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza. Big man depth played a huge role in the Celtics' demise earlier this season, so having Robinson could erase much of that problem.
There's no telling if Boston is in on Robinson or not, but keep in mind that, for how impressive the Knicks are, they can't keep this core together for much longer for, given what they have to pay. New York is toeing the line of the NBA's second tax apron, which could pave the way for Boston to price Robinson out of the big apple.
The Celtics want more than anything to return to the NBA Finals. One of the best ways they can do it is by helping themselves and hurting perhaps their biggest threat in the conference. Signing Robinson would do just that.
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