The Knicks found their missing piece — and it’s been on the roster all along

This is the moment Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks have been waiting for.

The moment Mitchell Robinson’s body is ready for a heavier workload — and with it, the long-anticipated chance to test a lineup built for playoff wars.

For months, Thibodeau envisioned this: Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns, a seven-foot defensive force paired with an elite scoring big, forming a one-two punch in the Knicks’ frontcourt. A combination capable of addressing one of New York’s biggest needs: size, physicality, and rim deterrence.

After a 24-minute run in New York’s 125-103 beatdown of the Miami Heat on Monday, it’s clear Robinson is rounding into shape. And with that, the Towns-Robinson pairing — a duo designed to replicate Minnesota’s success with Towns and Rudy Gobert — is finally a reality.

“It’s a huge impact defensively because when you have two seven-footers out there, if you get by one, you’ve got another one waiting at the rim,” Thibodeau said.

“His presence alone adds a lot to our defense, adds a lot to our team,” Towns added after their nine-minute fourth-quarter stint together. “It gives us a chance to get real versatile with our lineups… I thought we got some time with me and him at the four-five, and it caused a lot of problems. So we’ve got to see how we can build on that.”

***

This isn’t the same undersized Knicks team that was once vulnerable to physicality. This group has bulked up.

And Miami felt it.

Bam Adebayo tried a dribble-drive past Robinson — only to get stuck under the basket.

He kicked it to Duncan Robinson in the corner — but New York’s defensive anchor was already there, closing out.

With Towns boxing out two Heat players, Cameron Payne came up with the board, pushed the pace, and found OG Anunoby for an easy layup in transition.

Next trip down? Davion Mitchell beat Landry Shamet off the dribble — but Robinson lurking in the paint erased any thought of a layup. Amid the hesitation, Mitchell fumbled the ball out of bounds. Turnover. Knicks ball.

“[Mitch is] such a huge factor, and particularly when you have him and KAT out there together. They’re two seven-footers, and OG’s on the front line with them also, you’re just so long,” Thibodeau said. “The basket is protected, but I think the rim protection, his ability to get out on the perimeter, defend pick and rolls, make a second and third efforts to be up on the pick and roll and get back and rebound and change shots.”

Then there’s the offensive glass.

A Payne floater arced too high, but Robinson, as always, was there — cleaning up the mess with a two-handed putback dunk.

This is why you don’t trade Robinson at the deadline.

Not for pennies on the dollar. Not when his skill set is irreplaceable for his contract.

Because you don’t need to be a basketball genius to understand the fit.

Robinson is the perfect defensive balance to Towns’ offensive firepower. He’s the Gobert to Towns’ Minnesota blueprint — only in New York, surrounded by elite two-way wings in Mikal Bridges and Anunoby.

Since Robinson’s return, the Knicks have catapulted from bottom-10 in defensive efficiency to second-best in the league.

They have gone from worst in opponent three-point efficiency to the best three-point defense in basketball, allowing the fewest three-pointers made and owning the second-best three-point defensive efficiency behind only the Chicago Bulls since his return.

The Knicks rank second in turnovers forced per game and fifth in points scored off turnovers. Plus they’ve improved from their standing as bottom-10 in points allowed in the paint and are trending toward middle of the road in the department.

“We knew that the defense was gonna be totally different and have a brand new look,” Knicks forward Josh Hart told The Daily News. “I imagine you guys would know too just seeing [his play].”

Miles McBride’s insertion into the starting lineup for the injured Jalen Brunson (sprained right ankle) has also transformed New York’s perimeter defense, but there’s a different calm when Robinson is in the paint.

Perimeter defenders can take more risks, press harder, play more aggressively — because they know “a seven-foot-demon” is behind them.

“He’s our anchor when we’re out there, and it allows OG, Deuce, Mikal to be more aggressive on-ball because you know you have rim-protecting bigs present,” Hart told The News. “It’s gonna help deter shots up at the level of the screen a little bit more, so it’s easier for the guard to get back in front because it buys us a half of an extra second to get back in front of the ball.”

***

Here’s the scary part: Robinson isn’t even at full strength yet.

After close to a year away from the game recovering from left ankle surgery, the only way to get in game shape is to play in NBA games.

There’s no amount of wind sprints that can replicate closing out, rotating, contesting, battling for boards, and protecting the rim for long stretches at a time.

That’s why Monday’s 24-minute run against the Heat was so encouraging.

It marked his heaviest workload since his return and his first game logging double-digit points of the season.

“We’re seeing more and more multiple-effort plays from him,” Thibodeau said. “I think his timing is coming around. So he’s moving great and he feels great.”

“I feel good,” Robinson added. “Finally getting a rhythm back a little bit. That’s good. So basically — keep going.”

The early returns are promising albeit a small sample size: The Knicks are outscoring opponents at a rate of 45.9 points per 100 possessions in the 19 minutes over four games Towns and Robinson have shared the floor together.

And with Robinson’s minutes ramping up, the Knicks are only scratching the surface of their defensive potential.

The message is clear:

If this seven-foot two-way machine keeps rolling, the Towns-Robinson duo isn’t just a luxury — it’s the foundation of a Knicks defense built for a deep playoff run.

“Yeah learning positioning and stuff like that and the plays so we know what to do,” Robinson said.

And it’s only getting started. The Knicks have had a secret weapon in their pocket since training camp. Now, they’re finally getting to use it.

“It’s just something we’ve gotta build,” Robinson said. “I missed 10 months so coming back this is Game 7. So we’ve just gotta build trust.”

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