NBA Scout weighs in on Robinson’s value to Miami Heat
There is no denying that Duncan Robinson has transcended himself into being one of the best perimeter players in the entire league and every time he takes the court now, he is drawing a lot of attention from his opponents. Leaving Robinson open on the perimeter is a death sentence for any defense in the league, which is why he is one of the more dangerous offensive threats league-wide.
Game planning to stop and take away Duncan Robinson is becoming a normal occurrence for teams across the league now when they play the Miami Heat, but with three All-Stars in Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry, teams may not be able to put a lot of attention on Robinson, which could lead to his best season yet.
Seeing as almost all of his production comes from deep, Duncan Robinson is mainly regarded as being just a catch-and-shoot threat, but one NBA scout told NBA Analysis Network that he can be and is already more than that because of how he plays.
“When you look at Duncan as a player, obviously the first thing that stands out is his three-point shooting, but he truly is a guy that makes everyone else better on offense. He is not a facilitator and is not going to rack up assists, but his presence anywhere on the three-point line is something teams around the league have to respect, opening up plenty of opportunities for guys like Jimmy, Bam and now Kyle to do what they do best in isolation. Duncan Robinson’s value to the Miami Heat on the perimeter is just as important as any other player’s value on their roster. Without him, this team would not be in a championship-contending position.”
This is some pretty high praise for the 27-year-old wing and while Jimmy Butler is a much better all-around talent than Duncan Robinson, it is clear to see how their value to the Heat could be somewhat equal. Without Butler, the Heat are not close to being a contending team in the Eastern Conference, but without Robinson and his three-point shooting abilities, Miami really does not have a game on the perimeter.
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When you look at the league as a whole, three-point shooting is extremely important, and in order to win a title, you have to be a terrific shooting team, at least according to the last few seasons.
Last year, the Bucks won the championship and they ranked 5th in three-point shooting percentage during the regular season. The 2019-20 season was a little bit of an outlier, as the Lakers ranked 21st in three-point shooting, but the 2018-19 Raptors ranked 6th, the 2017-18 Warriors ranked 1st and the 2016-17 Warriors ranked 3rd in three-point shooting.
Looking at playoff teams from last year alone, only two teams who finished in the bottom ten of the league in three-point shooting percentage made the playoffs and of the eight teams that won a playoff series, six of them ranked inside the Top-10 in three-point shooting.
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With the way the game has changed over the last handful of years, there is so much value in having three-point shooters, which is why Duncan Robinson got the contract that he did with the Heat this offseason. Robinson is now under-contract in Miami through the 2025-26 season and if the Heat wins a championship in this time span, it will be hard not to point to the sharpshooter as being a key reason why they won.
