Celtics' Joe Mazzulla gives important Mitchell Robinson injury update amid loss vs. Pistons originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The biggest concern for the Boston Celtics on NBA Opening Night was their level of production. Many fans took issue with the squad led by Jayson Tatum and Paul George blowing a 22-point lead to lose to the Detroit Pistons. But that wasn't the only scare in that game. Mitchell Robinson had an injury scare during the first half. Some wondered whether the new Celtics big man was okay. Coach Joe Mazzulla gave a quick answer.
Celtics' Mazzulla drops Robinson injury update after loss to Pistons
Mitchell Robinson is the key to the Celtics' new identity. His offensive rebounding is why Brad Stevens and Coach Joe Mazzulla decided to snag him from the New York Knicks. The idea was that he would help Jayson Tatum and Co. by getting extra possessions by cleaning the offensive glass.
However, none of that can happen if the Celtics center is not healthy. Robinson visibly rolled his ankle and hurt it during the first half of the Celtics' NBA Opening Night bout with the Pistons. Fans were concerned about how he was doing even until the end of the game. Thankfully, Coach Mazzulla provided a swift, reassuring injury update via Noa Dalzell of Celtics Blog.
"He's good to go," the Celtics head coach declared.
Despite the update, Coach Mazzulla still practiced caution with Robinson. The Celtics big man only played 18 minutes against the Pistons. As a result, he scored four points, went 1-for-1 from the field, and went 0-for-2 from the free-throw line.
The Celtics also couldn't maximize their new signing's strongest skill. Robinson only racked up four rebounds. He notched a steal and two blocks, but his time on the court wasn't significant enough to make a larger impact.
These factors were huge in the Celtics’ 121-113 loss to the Pistons. With Robinson being limited, Coach Mazzulla couldn't get extra possessions off misses. Furthermore, Neemias Queta's three points weren't enough to fill the hole left by the NBA champion big man.
With Coach Mazzulla's confirmation, there is hope the Celtics will see more of Robinson and his rebounding prowess in their home opener against the New York Knicks on Friday.