Heat’s Robinson befriends popular member of Big 3 era. And Butler/Dragic relationship
Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson couldn’t practice his craft during the early stages of the pandemic. But he apparently could talk about it with others who share his greatest gift.
Not only did Robinson pick the brain of NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller during the NBA’s hiatus, but he also had conversations with Mike Miller, who was the Heat’s most skilled three-point shooter during the first three years of the Big 3 era.
“He reached out to me over quarantine and we’ve been able to connect, and he’s been huge,” Robinson said of Mike Miller’s input and encouragement. “He’s always been in my ear, texting me since I’ve been down here, so he’s been like a great vet to me.”
In Game 2, Robinson tied Mike Miller and Damon Jones for most three-pointers by a Heat player in a playoff game. Like Robinson, Miller also shot 7 for 8, in Game 5 of the 2012 NBA Finals.
“So just to be mentioned in the same sentence — obviously, he did on a significantly higher stage, so there’s a lot more for me to go, that’s for sure,” Robinson said. “It’s incredibly humbling just to be mentioned in the same sentence with some of these guys just because of what they were able to do in this jersey, specifically. So I just try to be the best version of myself and they certainly inspire me and my play, particularly Mike.”
Mike Miller hit 169 threes, on 41.2 percent shooting, during his three seasons with the Heat. His 1,690 career three-pointers are tied for 27th most in NBA history.
Reggie Miller is second on the all-time three point list, behind only former Heat guard Ray Allen. A mutual associate helped arrange Robinson’s conversations with Reggie Miller.
Among player who made at least 250 threes in a season, nobody in NBA history, other than Steph Curry, shot as high a percentage on three-pointers as Robinson did this season (44.6 percent, with 270 threes).
Goran Dragic said he delivered succinct advice to Robinson before Game 2, after Robinson shot 2 for 8 in a six-point Game 1:
“It’s simple advice: ‘Just shoot the ball. I don’t care if you miss 18 threes. I want you to shoot every time. Don’t pump fake. We need you,’” Dragic said.
“He didn’t hesitate [Thursday] and that’s how we want him.”
BUTLER/DRAGIC BOND
It’s very likely that the Heat will make Dragic a substantial one-year offer this summer. That’s mostly because of his production and professionalism and how much the organization values him.
But his relationship with the team’s max player certainly doesn’t hurt.
Butler spoke again this week of the strong friendship they have forged this year.
“That’s my guy, one of my all-time favorite teammates,” Butler said. “I don’t know, we just connect. We love the game of futbol, aka soccer. I think I’m half Slovenian. All of this stuff works out for the better. We enjoy Michelobs together. That’s just my guy.
“He’s just a great human being. He does whatever it takes to win, whether it’s coming off the bench, when he knows that he’s a starter and he knows that he’s an All-Star, or starting like he’s doing right now. He’s just so smart and he’ll do anything, absolutely anything for anybody. But more than anything, he’s a proven winner.”
Dragic said: “Me and Jimmy, we have great chemistry. As a team, we have great chemistry. One of our emphases before the playoffs was enjoy the game. Enjoy it. Have that smile on your face. That’s what I love to do.”
▪ Dragic has liked how this roster has come together:
“We have a solid team, deep bench,” he said. “We have a lot of shooting. Bam [Adebayo], DJ [Derrick Jones Jr.] — they put a lot of pressure on, then we have creativity.
“We can put the ball into Bam’s hands. I can create. Jimmy can create and from there on we’re just reading the game. When Duncan [makes threes], it opens up the game for us attackers and it’s a little bit easier to do our job. We have shooting, we have defensive stoppers, we have great guys who are making great decisions with the ball.”
