New York Knicks ‘Hack-a-Mitch’ strategy could be a Knicks problem — if Cavaliers commit to it By Stefan Bondy Published May 19, 2026, 6:48 p.m. ET Knicks center Mitchell Robinson working on his free throws during practice at the Knicks Training facility. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The New York Post on Google To an astute NBA analyst, the Hack-A-Mitch can’t be a passive strategy.
Either Kenny Atkinson believes in it enough to ride through some Mitchell Robinson conversions, or the Cavs coach shouldn’t do it.
“If you go that route, commit to that. Commit to it,” Tim Legler, who called Tuesday’s Game 1 as ESPN’s lead analyst, told The Post. “Don’t let him make two in a row or three out of four and think, ‘OK, we’re going to get away from that.’ No. No. S–t. Make him shoot eight or 10.”
Robinson, 28, is a proven, dynamic rebounding force for the Knicks, a reputation forged three years ago when he punked the Cavaliers in a first-round playoff series. But his foul shooting has alternated between inconsistent and dreadful, limiting his opportunities on the court (he entered the conference finals averaging just 14.4 minutes in the playoffs and shooting 38 percent from the line).
