Heat’s Robinson: ‘I feel like I’ve yet to see the best version of myself as a player’
Duncan Robinson’s strong postseason run didn’t merely offer reassurance that he remains one of the league’s most ignitable three-point shooters.
It didn’t merely showcase his improved off-the-dribble game.
It also did something equally important in a league that revolves around dollars and cents every bit as much as dollars and sense:
It made a case that his five-year, $90 million contract isn’t the “albatross” it was considered just four months ago, as one longtime NBA scout framed it.
Robinson seemingly rebuilt his value and set the stage for one of two scenarios: either 1). remaining with the Heat and filling a rotation spot, especially if Tyler Herro is dealt or Max Strus isn’t resigned or 2). moving to another team via trade, with his contract seemingly in a sweet spot in terms of being able to help facilitate a deal for an All-Star.
He has three years remaining on that contract, at $18.1 million, $19.4 million and $19.9 million. The final year is only partially guaranteed.
His play during the Heat’s run to the NBA Finals “mattered to me in a way that contributing to winning at this level mattered,” Robinson said last week after averaging 9.0 points and shooting 44.2 percent on threes in postseason.
It’s an opportunity that might not have come without injuries to Herro and Victor Oladipo.
“I have a lot of confidence in what I’m able to do and the impact I’m able to have,” he said. “This is a tough profession. It is. You go through stretches where the confidence can waver, as much as people say it doesn’t. It’s about building a resolve to not let it get to the point where it’s not detrimental to your success. Having gone through what I’ve gone through, you learn how to have a little more resolve.
“Having a stretch playing well on a big stage and trying to help your team extend your season, that counts for something. I definitely will be taking that with me and growing on it.”
There was considerable adversity during the past 15 months — losing his starting job to Strus in late March 2022, then shuffling in and out of the rotation this season (he was a healthy scratch 18 games) and missing five weeks after finger surgery (Jan. 4-Feb. 13).
With his playing time sporadic, Robinson closed the regular season with averages of 6.4 points (down from 13.1 and 10.9 the previous two) and 16.5 minutes per appearance (down from 31.4 and 25.9).
He started just one of his 42 regular-season appearances and saw his three-point percentage plunge to 32.8, after shooting 44.6, 40.8 and 37.2 the previous three seasons — years in which he started, 68, 72 and 68 games.
But Robinson found his touch in postseason, finishing tied for fifth among all players in three-pointers made in the playoffs (50) and fifth in three-point percentage with a minimum of 50 attempts, at 44.2.
“I really try to [boost] my confidence by putting in work…,” he said. “Making three point shots does that.”
Along the way, he also displayed an effectiveness off the dribble, while tormenting teams with back cuts and perpetual motion on offense.
“There’s more confidence in other aspects of my game,” he said.
How the inconsistent playing time this season affected his shooting percentage is immeasurable. Asked if being yanked in and out of the lineup affects distant shooters more than others, he said:
“It’s a challenge for anybody. Having consistent footing and ground is going to lead to more consistent performance for anybody. But that’s not the reality this league is. There are maybe two or three guys on every team who really have the role they really want and everyone else sacrifices. That’s part of being a part of something bigger than yourself.”
He obviously wants to be in the rotation moving forward, even though he never complained during his time out of it.
“Of course I’m a competitive person, I want to be out there,” he said. “I want to be helping my team win. I want to come back a better version of myself so I don’t find myself in those situations.”
Even amid a personal playoff breakthrough, Robinson said the aftermath of the five-game Finals loss to Denver has stirred a sense of melancholy.
“For right now, there’s a lot of pain, a lot of hurt getting that far and not being able to finish the job,” he said. But also “there is a lot of gratitude, a lot of appreciation for everything that has transpired this year.”
He’s eager to see what the future holds.
“I’m 29; a lot of people would say that’s right in the heart of your prime,” he said. “I feel like I’ve yet to see the best version of myself as a player. That’s exciting.”
This story was originally published June 16, 2023 at 9:54 AM.
