For a keen NBA analyst, the Hack-A-Mitch strategy should never be implemented half-heartedly.
Kenny Atkinson, the coach of the Cavaliers, must either fully commit to this tactic, even if Mitchell Robinson makes a few successful shots, or abandon it altogether.
“If you decide to take that path, then stick with it,” Tim Legler, ESPN’s lead analyst for Tuesday’s Game 1, advised The Post. “Don’t back out if he makes two in a row or hits three out of four. Absolutely not. Let him take eight or ten shots.”
At 28, Robinson has established himself as a formidable rebounder for the Knicks, a reputation he solidified three years ago when he dominated the Cavaliers in a first-round playoff matchup. However, his inconsistent and often poor free-throw shooting has plagued his court time, as evidenced by his average of just 14.4 minutes per game in the playoffs, with a free-throw success rate of only 38 percent.