Would Nate Robinson Be a Good Fit for Knicks?

According to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, though Robinson’s first choice would be to return to the Chicago Bulls, he would welcome the opportunity to return to the Big Apple:

Nate Robinson, who will be an unrestricted free agent come July 1, would be open to returning to the Knicks, according to his agent, Aaron Goodwin.

“Nate’s first thought would be to remain with the Bulls, but if the Knicks’ opportunity presented itself, I am sure he would appreciate an opportunity to play in New York again,” he told ESPNNewYork.com.

Robinson began his career with the Knicks, spending the better part of five seasons in New York before being traded to the Boston Celtics. He has since spent time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors and most recently, the Bulls as well.

Coming off arguably the most consistent season of his career, Robinson finally seems in line to land a multi-year deal. Whether the Knicks—who have more than $76 million committed in payroll leading into next season—could afford him remains to be seen.

But say they could. Say Robinson can fall within New York’s price range. Does he make sense?

Yes, absolutely. And also no.

The Knicks need a backup point guard. Jason Kidd could retire, Pablo Prigioni may not return and Raymond Felton is a wildcard. Robinson has never been considered the most selfless of playmakers, but he did a phenomenal job during the playoffs, averaging 4.4 assists per game and letting the offense come to him. He also tallied 16.3 points a night for the postseason, emerging as a consistent scoring punch on a big stage the Knicks would welcome.

Remember, Felton, Kidd and J.R. Smith all shrank come playoff time. Knowing that there’s a good chance at least one of Kidd, Prigioni and even Smith won’t return (J.R. probably will return), Robinson’s value to a team that needs to get faster and more athletic is undeniable.

Can the Knicks handle him? That’s the real question.

Mike Woodson is a no-nonsense coach who typically prefers to play at a half-court pace. Robinson represents everything he doesn’t. Toss in the fact that Robinson was unable to co-exist alongside Mike D’Antoni–who is considered a players coach—and things have the ability to get messy.

Imagine a Knicks team where Woodson was forced to taper the egos of Smith, Robinson and Carmelo Anthony. Oh, and Amar’e Stoudemire too. Things could get messy. Not to mention a potential trio of Robinson, Smith and Stoudemire coming off the bench is just as potentially detrimental as it is promising.

Still, I like Robinson for his ego. The Knicks don’t have a playmaker with that kind of swag. Neither Prigioni nor Felton has the balls to keep the rock out of ‘Melo’s hands when he’s forcing the action or insist the Knicks run more pick-and-rolls. Kidd does, but how many minutes is he good for? Robinson can legit log 30-plus a night. He’d prefer it. And man, when he gets hot, he gets hot. Ask LeBron James, who wound up defending him for a large portion of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Finances aside, the Knicks could use Robinson. And I really mean that. But I have my doubts that Woodson and the rest of the organization understand how pressing it is for them to get more athletic. And I can all but guarantee he’s not a prospective target Woodson would beg the Knicks to pursue.

So hold off on breaking out those vintage Robinson Knicks jerseys. Barring a financial and moral epiphany, the ever explosive point man won’t be coming back to the team that drafted him.