The big Heat story line to emerge from summer league this year? The play of Orlando Robinson
What was supposed to be the summer league of first-round picks Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic turned into the summer league of undrafted center Orlando Robinson for the Miami Heat.
While Jaquez was limited to one full summer league game because of a shoulder injury and Jovic left summer league early to begin preparing for the World Cup, Robinson was one of the NBA’s top performers during this year’s summer league to earn a spot on the All-Summer League First Team.
Robinson capped his impressive two-week run with 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 shooting from three-point range, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and one block in the Heat’s summer league finale, a 104-78 blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers, in Las Vegas on Sunday night
“Just come out, give 100 percent effort and show what I’ve been working on this whole summer,” Robinson, 23, said of his summer league mentality during an interview on ESPN following Sunday’s game. “Just continuing to play with my teammates efficiently and just play hard.”
Including a 36-point effort to open Las Vegas Summer League, Robinson averaged 20.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 53 percent from the field and 8 of 21 (38.1 percent) from beyond the arc in six games during his second summer league.
Robinson (6-11 and 245 pounds) averaged 25.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting 57.8 percent from the field and 6 of 17 (35.3 percent) from three-point range in four games during Las Vegas Summer League.
“For him, it’s just been a long time coming. I know he was just so excited and anxious to get back and play again,” Heat assistant coach Malik Allen said of Robinson as part of an interview on WQAM during the Heat’s final summer league game of the year Sunday. “... He was so locked in with everything that he did from his details on the court to his weight room work, his conditioning. It was one of the most disciplined and focused couple months coming into a summer league. Then all of a sudden, you have a chance to go out there and show what you’ve built from the G League year to the time after the G League season when those guys get to work in practice.
“It’s been really fun to watch him and I’m proud of him because he’s really, really wanted this opportunity and to play really well.”
The next step for Robinson is proving his summer league production translates to the NBA. He averaged 3.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in limited playing time during 31 NBA appearances last season while spending most of his rookie year on a two-way contract with the Heat.
Robinson is on track to be on the Heat’s 15-man roster this upcoming season after recently being promoted from a two-way contract to a standard deal. But only $75,000 of his $1.8 million for next season is guaranteed, with his full salary becoming guaranteed if he’s still on the Heat’s roster on Jan. 10.
Robinson believes his improved all-around game will lead to a more consistent role — possibly as the Heat’s backup center behind starter Bam Adebayo — in his second NBA season. His main competition at the moment for that job is Thomas Bryant, who has played six NBA seasons and signed with the Heat as a free agent this summer.
“For sure, for sure I do,” Robinson said on ESPN when asked if he expects to have a real chance to be in the Heat’s rotation this upcoming season. “I think my ability to stretch the floor, shoot the three and my quickness on defense, being able to get out on the perimeter and blitz and move my feet is going to allow me to get a lot of minutes with the Heat this year.”
Robinson’s improved three-point shot was on display during summer league, as he shot nearly 40 percent from deep in his six summer league games over the last two weeks.
Robinson didn’t get many in-game reps from three-point range in his first NBA season after shooting a respectable 37 of 105 (35.2 percent) from deep in his final college season. He shot 0 of 6 on threes in the NBA and just 2 of 12 (16.7 percent) on threes in the G League this past season.
But Robinson, who went undrafted out of Fresno State last year, made some recent changes to his mechanics in hopes of becoming a more reliable three-point shooter who’s trusted to take those shots in games. That’s been part of his behind-the-scenes work during the past year to become a better offensive player without the ball in his hands and make up for his perceived lack of elite athleticism after playing as the focal point of Fresno State’s offense.
“In college I didn’t really play off the ball, so I was more on the ball,” Robinson said on ESPN. “Now I’m here and I’m playing off the ball. I put them both together, so now it’s a mix of both and it’s really hard to guard, it’s really hard to deal with. So I think I found my niche in the NBA game.”
Robinson says the game has slowed down for him over the last year. His summer league display seemed to confirm that, but the challenge now is to prove it in training camp and the preseason to earn a spot in the Heat’s rotation.
“Just being able to see the highest of the high my first year in the NBA Finals, it gave me a lot to focus in on and read,” Robinson said, regarding the value of his Heat experience last season. “So just moving forward in my career, just seeing that has helped me get accustomed to the NBA style of play now.”
This story was originally published July 17, 2023 at 10:19 AM.
