The Knicks won the NBA Cup without a hero, and that should frighten the league

LAS VEGAS — Each time the New York Knicks needed a problem solved, no matter how mundane or complex the on-court task was deemed to be, the question and answer was Mitchell Robinson.

His five offensive rebounds in the span of 90 seconds provided the fulcrum of a pivotal three-minute, 16-2 run that gave New York a fourth-quarter lead they would never surrender, but Robinson’s commitment to crashing the glass — against a team that relished a physical bout down low — proved pivotal on one of the game’s biggest stages. Robinson played just 18 minutes but snagged 15 total rebounds — 10 of them being offensive — in a game where the Knicks scored 32 second-chance points from 23 added opportunities.

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“Tonight showed why it’s important to create extra possessions,” Robinson, donning a cup champions T-shirt, told Yahoo Sports following the Knicks’ 124-113 win over the Spurs in the NBA Cup championship. “They shoot the ball, they miss, I get the offensive rebound and that’s another chance of us scoring. I did that, what, ten times tonight? We missed some but the chance is there. It helps a lot.”

Tuesday night’s Cup final was an enthralling contest from start to finish, a deliberate, grind-it-out affair from two of the slower teams in terms of pace. It was an atmosphere fitting of a championship game — the Spurs super fans chanting and dancing for 48 minutes, the Knicks faithful letting their emotions hang on every missed shot or deflection and Vegas providing the perfect backdrop for a high-stakes affair.

But given the playoff-like environment, Victor Wembanyama’s individual star power and New York’s assemblage of talent, the crowning glory would come from which team simply had the ball more. In Robinson, the Knicks have one of the league’s best in doing just that. So much of the Knicks’ offense — second in the NBA according to Cleaning the Glass — comes from their ability to generate more than their opponents. They are the second-most frequent and third-most efficient team in offense after an offensive rebound, per Synergy tracking data. When Robinson is on the floor, New York’s offensive rebounding rate soars by over fourteen percent — good for the 100th percentile. It’s not as glamorous of a stat as isolation efficiency, playmaking control or three-point savvy, but it’s just as important.

“Mitchell Robinson, he had 10 offensive rebounds in 18 minutes,” head coach Mike Brown said. “That’s unbelievable. We had 23 offensive rebounds for the game. He had 10. OG had four. KAT had four. That was probably the biggest difference in the game when you’re scoring 32 second-chance points. For him to come off the bench and do that … ”

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“Shout-out to Mitch, man,” Karl Anthony-Towns added. “Hell of a day at the office for him.”

Still, as critical as offensive rebounds can be to a good half-court offense, they’re deemed futile without everything else working in tandem. Quality floor spacing, decision and shot-making, talent and overall IQ are the other necessary ingredients that make a contender. OG Anunoby led all players on the floor with 28 points on 10-for-17 shooting, Jalen Brunson chipped in 25 of his own and Karl Anthony-Towns finished with 16 — with Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek combining for 29 points from the bench. The Knicks, much like the city of New York, are a diverse group that get their strength from the sum of their parts. They shy away from isolated praise, understanding their ultimate goal can’t be reached on the shoulders of one or two. Brunson, who was named tournament MVP, wasted no time in shouting out the contributions of each of his teammates as he was presented with his trophy as a reminder of the collective.

“Without them I don’t hold that trophy,” Brunson said. “We don’t hold the trophy as a team. We’re on the complete other side of this.”

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“Just having everybody out there competing and contributing to the team,” forward Mikal Bridges told Yahoo Sports. “I think we got a lot of talented guys. High-IQ individuals that will go out there and do whatever it takes to win.”

In a lot of ways, being the last one standing — albeit in a midseason tournament — could invigorate the Knicks as they plant their flag in the ground as one of the NBA elite, especially with New York sitting just 2.5 games behind Detroit atop a much-improved Eastern Conference. It was clear from their words both before and after the game that bringing success back home, lifting a banner, meant something. New York outlasted two top four seeds in the Western Conference and Orlando, the East’s fifth seed. Regardless of what the outside perception of the NBA Cup may be, you’d be hard pressed to convince these Knicks that Tuesday night doesn’t matter.

New York can make a strong claim as the deepest, most talented team in the East — and perhaps the NBA as a whole. How many teams can match the sheer offensive brilliance and leadership of Brunson? The two-way skill set of Anunoby and Bridges? Towns’ unicorn-like gravity? Josh Hart’s glue? Jordan Clarkson’s instant scoring off the bench? The guidance and tactical astuteness of Brown?

This is why the Knicks should be feared. Brunson is the head of the snake, a likely MVP candidate and rightfully so; his ability to command complete control of a team filled with vibrant personalities, all while understanding how to navigate situations, is admirable. But take a stroll into Madison Square Garden and think that slowing Brunson down is a surefire way to victory, and your mistakes haven’t even begun. New York is deep. New York is dangerous. New York is champion. And they’re just getting started.

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“It’s a goal of ours that we get to check off,” Brunson said. “It’s an important stepping stone for us. We can still learn from this game and get better, as well. I’m very thankful for the opportunity presented to ourselves. … This is great. We’re going to enjoy this. But once we leave tomorrow, we’re moving on.”