The Miami Heat had initially found a diamond in the rough in Duncan Robinson. He was a movement shooter that proved to be an ideal match in an offense that often utilizes dribble handoffs and needs shooters with gravity. Now, his five-year, $90 million is one of the NBA’s worst contracts.
Robinson is having the worst season of his NBA career since his rookie campaign. In 28 appearances, he’s averaged 6.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 17.9 minutes per game. He’s shooting just 36.8 percent from the floor and 33.1 percent from 3-point range.
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Heat have been attempting to move Robinson in a trade ahead of the midseason deadline. He has fallen out of the rotation but has since undergone surgery to repair a finger injury.
The Heat, of course, have also been trying to trade Duncan Robinson without success, with Robinson having fallen out of the rotation before his recent finger surgery in Year 2 of a five-year, $90 million contract.
Robinson is just one of many one-dimensional sharpshooters that have found it challenging to stay on the floor for their team. It’s bad enough to be a defensive liability in an era where switching is so prevalent defensively. Being neutralized as a shooter without other contenders is all the more troubling.
There has been a lasting need for Robinson to improve defensively, and it simply hasn’t transpired. He is often the option the opposition is bringing up into actions to attack. The Heat try to make him hedge against screens to minimize the opportunities for the opposition to punish him on switches.
There is a limited outlook for the type of landing spot that could salvage Robinson’s career. A required element would surely be to play next to a superstar that will command frequent double teams. Such a situation would lead to more open looks where Robinson’s shooting can be maximized.
Even if there is a team with that type of superstar, it’s rare for it to be a two-way player that isn’t a liability. With multiple defensive liabilities, it’s tough to overcome in today’s NBA. There would almost need to be a rim protector on this hypothetical team.
More must-reads: