Duncan Robinson taking ‘professional’ approach after falling out of Heat playoff rotation
Duncan Robinson has seen his role with the Miami Heat gradually shrink over the last six weeks. It hasn’t been easy, but he has accepted his current situation.
“That’s part of being a professional, you know,” Robinson said to a few South Florida reporters following Saturday’s practice at Wells Fargo Center. “That’s part of my job.”
Robinson, 28, started 67 games this season before Max Strus replaced him in the starting lineup in late March with just two weeks left in the regular season. Robinson then went from playing a consistent role off the bench to being completely out of the Heat’s rotation to begin its second-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Robinson, who averaged 13.2 minutes of playing time as a reserve in the first round, received his first DNP-CD (did not play, coach’s decision) since April 7, 2019 in Game 1 of the Heat’s second-round series against the 76ers. He then played only the final 55 seconds of a Game 2 blowout win and received another DNP-CD in Game 3.
“It has been a challenge,” Robinson admitted entering Game 4 on Sunday night in Philadelphia. “But it comes with the territory. It’s part of being a professional.”
The Heat has opted to use a four-man bench rotation of Tyler Herro, Dewayne Dedmon, Victor Oladipo and Caleb Martin through the first three games of the second round.
“It’s part of being a professional,” Robinson continued to emphasize. “If I’m on the court, it’s my job to play basketball to the best of my abilities and help us win. If I’m not on the court, help us win. If that’s being a supportive teammate, that’s what I do.”
When asked earlier in the series why Robinson had dropped out of the rotation, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said: “It literally can change next game. It’s a playoff rotation. He’s stable enough, he’s ready enough and it might just be some moments where he really can change a quarter or a game and just be ignitable.”
With Robinson entering with 55 seconds left in the Heat’s 16-point Game 2 win, he said he allows Spoelstra to decide whether to put him in late in blowout wins or losses.
“Whatever coach needs me to do,” Robinson said. “If he tells me to go in, I go in. If he doesn’t tell me to go in, I don’t go in.”
Robinson added that the last time he found himself out of his team’s rotation was back in high school. There were also stretches at Michigan on the college level that he found himself not playing much.
But this is different for Robinson, who signed a five-year deal worth $90 million in free agency with Miami last summer, because he had already established himself as a consistent contributor for the Heat. Robinson started 68 of his 73 regular-season appearances in 2019-20, all 72 of his regular-season appearances last season and 67 games this season before the late-season change.
Robinson made just 32.8 percent of his threes over his first 21 games this season. He ended this regular season shooting 37.2 percent on 7.9 three-point attempts per game after making more than 40 percent of his threes in each of the previous two seasons.
To start this postseason, Robinson scored 27 points on 8-of-9 shooting from deep in Game 1 of of the first round against the Atlanta Hawks on April 17. He has shot 2 of 10 from three-point range in the playoffs since then.
While Robinson waits for his next moment, he has worked to keep his rhythm by participating in three-on-three games with teammates after practice.
“Just to stay sharp,” Robinson said. “It’s good for sure. Just to keep it fresh, keep it moving.”
