Duncan Robinson has returned to the Miami Heat’s starting lineup as a result of Terry Rozier’s injury, and he has not let us down.
As a Miami Heat ko player, Duncan Robinson has had an underappreciated career. The fact that he holds the franchise record for the most 3-pointers made will always remain the same despite ups and downs. Robinson was resurrected come playoff time, having spent the majority of the previous season outside the rotation owing to inconsistent play on both sides of the ball and shooting difficulties.
After Miami lost guards Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo to season-ending injuries early in the first round, Robinson was given a chance to prove himself and regain a regular rotation role on the greatest platform in the NBA. He ended up showing off the growth in his all-around game and giving crucial bench minutes during Miami’s unlikely Finals run. He has continued that excellence into this, his sixth season.
Robinson is now higher on the depth chart as a result of the Heat’s roster alterations heading into 2023–2024. The team traded Oladipo and lost Gabe Vincent and Max Strus to free agency. When they were healthy last season, all three of those players were outperforming Robinson. He is back in a regular role and has proven that his 2023 playoff run was not an anomaly.
Robinson changed from being a 3-point specialist with little defensive ability to a player who can still put the ball on the floor and create opportunities for himself and others in addition to shooting an incredible amount of points. On defense, he has also been able to hold his own.
The opportunity to witness Robinson develop into a player who can now attack the basket and finish at the rim, whether it be with hard drives or floaters, has been afforded to Heat supporters. His passing has become more accurate, opening up opportunities for teammates to score.
Before the All-Star break, Robinson and Herro started together in the backcourt in the Heat’s previous two road victories over the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, and they looked good together. Each player’s skill set was complementary to the other’s, and Robinson filled it up offensively with consecutive games of 20 points or more.
This season, Robinson has made 50 appearances for the Heat, starting 19. The Heat consist of:
10-0 with at least 20 points from Duncan Robinson
13-1 when netting a minimum of 18 points
14-5 at the outset
These are numbers that head coach Erik Spoelstra cannot overlook. When he starts, Robinson receives more touches and playing time, and his statistics suggest that he could be more than just a reliable bench player. His shooting skill opens up unmatched space for the starting lineup, and over time, he has developed a real on-court relationship with Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo.
Since the previous season, nearly all of his season stats have increased, some significantly. Specifically, he moved from averaging 6.4 points per game on 37.1% field goal shooting and 32.8% 3-point shooting to 13.3 points per game on 45.9% field goal and 41.2% 3-point shooting.
Robinson benefits from more playing time with the starting lineup. He might be Miami’s biggest X-factor, as shown by a number of data.
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