How Duncan Robinson handles shooting slumps and why Heat isn’t worried: ‘He’ll break through’
Duncan Robinson knows the historic three-point shooting standard he set for himself.
That past success reminds Robinson, who signed a five-year deal worth $90 million in free agency this past summer, what he’s capable of and helps him weather inevitable shooting slumps. But it can also add pressure to match or surpass what he has done in prior seasons.
The Miami Heat’s most accomplished outside shooter is dealing with both sides of the spectrum at the moment, as Robinson is working to escape his early season three-point shooting slump. He’s shooting just 31.2 percent from three-point range through the first 12 games this season after making an incredible 44.6 percent of his threes in 2019-20 and 40.8 percent of his threes in 2020-21, with only Sacramento’s Buddy Hield (553) and Portland’s Damian Lillard (545) totaling more made threes than Robinson (520) in those two seasons.
“Any time you go through a stretch when the ball is not going in, and I’ve had them before, it’s frustrating,” Robinson said earlier this season. “It’s particularly frustrating when you’re starting out a year and you’re starting with a clean slate. It’s a great thing that a team is winning. But at the same time, I want to feel like I’m doing my part and contributing. Guys are being super unselfish and putting me in situations to be successful and I don’t feel like I was capitalizing.
“I don’t rely on this, but the fact that I have built some equity in that I think people know my average is not what it has been. You’re going to have stretches when you’re shooting the ball well and you’re going to have stretches when you’re shooting the ball poorly. So just trying to weather the storm in some respects. Just continue to push.”
Robinson’s next opportunity to end his shooting slump will come when the Heat (7-5) faces the Utah Jazz on Saturday at Vivint Arena (5 p.m., Bally Sports Sun and NBA TV). Miami has dropped four of its past five games and is 0-3 on its five-game West Coast trip.
Robinson, 27, finished Thursday’s 112-109 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with six points on 2-of-11 shooting from deep. Among the 16 players who entered Friday averaging at least eight three-point attempts per game this season, Robinson ranked 13th with his three-point percentage.
“Look, it’s a tough league,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked about Robinson’s cold shooting start. “So you, more often than not, have to manage disappointment of not playing to whatever standards you may have. That’s not exclusive to Duncan. That’s virtually every single player in this league. You have to manage those emotions, stay the course. He has uncommon persistence now. He’ll break through. I have no doubt about that. His teammates, the same way and the staff, the same way.”
That became evident when Robinson’s teammates were asked about him this week.
“All shooters go through slumps,” Heat guard Tyler Herro said. “Dunc is one of the hardest-working guys on this team. First one in the gym, last one to leave. I mean, he has been the best shooter in the world since I’ve known him. So we’re not worried about Duncan. When he doesn’t shoot 10 or 15 threes, that’s when we’re mad at him. We’re not mad at him for missing or anything like that. As long as he keeps shooting, we’ll be in good shape.”
Heat guard Kyle Lowry added: “He has just got to continue to shoot the ball. I’m not necessarily worried about Duncan. I think he’s a kid that wants to strive to be the best shooter there is and to live up to the contract he got. He’s missing easy shots and they’ll fall and he’ll go through a stretch where he’ll go 20 for 25 and 30 for 45. When that stretch comes, all these games early don’t really matter.”
Robinson’s three-point attempts are being generated a little differently this season, though, which is worth monitoring.
So many of his shots in past seasons came off of handoffs from Adebayo. Robinson is still getting a similar amount of threes off of handoffs but from different facilitators this season, and his spot-up opportunities are up.
Robinson is taking about one more spot-up shot per game this season compared to last season, and is shooting just 26.1 percent on those looks. He’s also taking more threes from the corners this season, as 29 percent of his shot attempts have been corner three-pointers compared to only 18 percent last season.
“I just think playing with new personnel,” Robinson said when asked how he has adjusted to the Heat’s new-look offense. “Getting a feel, tendencies, all that sort of stuff. Nothing glaring. The pace, I think we have a little more pace, which is good. But yeah, there’s nothing super different. A lot of it is just kind of nuances, feel, getting connected and that sort of thing.”
Robinson said before the season that he prides himself on “being over 40 [percent] as a baseline, for sure” as a three-point shooter. The difference between where he is now and 40 percent is just 10 made threes.
In other words, the season is still young, and the Heat is not worried about Robinson’s slow shooting start. They’re just happy he’s averaging a career-high 9.1 three-point attempts per game this season.
“I love that they, especially your head coach, feels that way and he’s constantly in my ear about being more and more aggressive, and there’s no bad shots, and just to let it fly,” Robinson said. “So it’s great to have those people in your corner. A guy like Jimmy [Butler] yelling at me to shoot the ball. Kyle [Lowry] telling me to be aggressive. So yeah, for me it just continues to just unlock the mind to just go out there and be aggressive and let it fly.”
Because even when Robinson isn’t making shots at the rate he’s expected to, he’s still a threat that helps create the required spacing for the Heat’s offense to function. That’s also a result of the historic three-point shooting standard he set for himself.
“You just keep on playing to the strengths, take your shots that are available and leave the coach to make the decision whether to keep on riding with you or not,” Spoelstra said. “But I want him to play aggressively with almost a reckless abandon hunting for three-point opportunities. It changes everything for us and he’s one of the best shooters on this planet. You’re going to go through times when the ball is not going in. But you have to continue to take them and he had some really good clean looks. It’ll come. I have no doubt about that.”
INJURY REPORT
Heat star Jimmy Butler is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against the Jazz. He missed his first game of the season in Thursday’s loss to the Clippers because of a sprained right ankle.
Marcus Garrett (G League), Markieff Morris (whiplash) and Victor Oladipo (right knee injury recovery) remain out for the Heat. Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Max Strus are off Miami’s injury report.
The only Jazz player who will miss Saturday’s game is Rudy Gay, who is recovering from a right heel injury.
This story was originally published November 12, 2021 at 1:15 PM.
