Jae Crowder compares Duncan Robinson to Kyle Korver. And Andre Iguodala talks Heat way
It didn’t take long for second-year forward Duncan Robinson to make a strong impression on Miami Heat newcomers Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala.
In Crowder and Iguodala’s first few weeks with the Heat before the NBA season was suspended March 11 because of the coronavirus crisis, they both came away impressed by Robinson. Not only with Robinson’s ability to make threes, but also with his relentless off-the-ball work to find open shots and his desire to become more than just a three-point specialist.
“He’s establishing himself as an NBA player, not just an NBA player but a threat out there on the court,” Iguodala said of Robinson. “He’s very eager to get better and not be content, and I think you have a lot of shooters, especially in today’s game, that are satisfied with just being able to shoot because the game is trending that way. But I think he wants to be a complete basketball player.”
Robinson, 25, entered the league shutdown ranked third in the NBA with 243 made threes this season, behind only Houston’s James Harden (271 made threes) and Sacramento’s Buddy Hield (244). Among the 29 players averaging seven or more three-point shot attempts per game, Robinson owns the league’s top three-point shooting percentage at 44.8 percent ahead of second-place Davis Bertans from the Washington Wizards (42.4 percent).
Even with 17 regular-season games left to play, Robinson already set a new Heat record for threes made in a season. Robinson, who will surely have his non-guaranteed $1.6 million salary for next season guaranteed by the Heat, surpassed the previous franchise mark of 227 threes set by Wayne Ellington in the 2017-18 season.
Robinson was on track to finish the 82-game schedule with 306 made threes. If Robinson would have hit that number, he would have joined Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Houston’s James Harden as the only players in NBA history to make more than 300 threes in a season.
So, where does Robinson rank among the elite three-point shooters Crowder has played with?
“He’s definitely top five,” Crowder said. “I’ve played with a few. Probably top two. I think about Kyle Korver and I think about Duncan.
“To be honest with you, Kyle Korver comes off one way, though. Duncan is coming off both sides, so he’s a little more dynamic in that sense. I don’t want to say he’s a better shooter, but he’s more dynamic because really Kyle Korver wants to come off the left side of the floor. If you notice, he wants to come off that left side corner. So, Duncan can come out and play both sides. He’s a little more dynamic.”
Then there are the little things Robinson does that go unnoticed. During a game just before the season was suspended, Iguodala made a point to pull Robinson aside during a stoppage in play to acknowledge a defensive adjustment he implemented.
“Just giving him encouragement on something I saw that he did,” Iguodala said. “I was aware that he picked up on something in film and then he translate it to the game right away, which goes unnoticed. But just letting him know things like that are huge for our team.”
IGUODALA ON HEAT EXPERIENCE
After Iguodala was traded to the Heat on Feb. 6, he was able to play in 14 games with Miami before the NBA shutdown. Even during that short time, Iguodala said he started to understand what the Heat is about.
“It’s the Heat culture, which is a different type of culture in terms of the connection you have with not just your teammates, but everyone on the coaching staff,” Iguodala said in a Wednesday Instagram Live discussion with Heat television host Jason Jackson. “Usually you deal with one or two coaches, but just dealing with everybody on the coaching staff and taking input from everybody. The entire coaching staff reaches out to me a couple times a week, so the connection is ... it’s a different type of connection in a good way. It’s a really family oriented organization, you can tell.
“Pat [Riley’s] open door policy, you can go talk to him at any time. It’s just a very tight knit group. You don’t see that too much in professional sports, where the organization is that tight knit and they welcome you with open arms and will try to fulfill any of your needs. One thing I tell people, it’s a different type of culture and they’re going to work you. But they will provide you with everything you need to be successful. There’s no other way to run a company but in that way, just to make sure everyone gets everything they need to be successful and play at their highest level. I see why they’ve been so consistent.”
Iguodala, 36, said he’s spending the NBA shutdown with his family on the West Coast, where he has a home in the San Francisco Bay Area. The two-year, $30 million extension Iguodala signed with the Heat begins next season with a $15 million salary for 2020-21, and it includes a team option in 2021-22.
