Duncan Robinson is in the second year of a five-year, $90MM contract. The first year of the deal didn’t go well for the Heat swingman, as he lost his starting job late in the season and was the subject of numerous trade rumors.
Robinson is ready to hit the reset button, as shown by his 29-point outing against the Grizzlies on Friday, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.
“Just based off of how last year went — lots to learn from, lots to grow from,” he said. “So just to be very discerning over what it is I want to take with me, what I want to take from the experience and how I can actually be resourceful and use it to better myself, better the team, better myself as a player.”
Robinson has worked on improving defensively and becoming a more diverse offensive player.
We have more on the Heat:
- Haywood Highsmith only has a partial guarantee on his contract this season but he’s impressed coach Erik Spoelstra in the preseason, according to Nekias Duncan of Basketball News. “I don’t view him as a young player,” Spoelstra said. “I understand he doesn’t have an extensive NBA experience — but he’s played some very good basketball in the G League. He has had to grind and earn everything and every opportunity that he’s been given. He just continues to get better each year.”
- Rookie forward Jamal Cain earned a two-way contract with his performances during camp and preseason games, according to Spoelstra. as Chiang relays. “Over the course of the last several weeks, we’ve been able to see his work ethic and how much he’s improved because of his approach and work ethic,” he said. “Then he had several good moments in training camp and the last two preseason games.” Miami is expected to keep a roster spot open and waive its players currently on Exhibit 10 deals — Mychal Mulder, Jamaree Bouyea, Orlando Robinson and Dru Smith — then have them join its G League team.
- Mulder is in his third stint with the organization and Spoelstra compares him to former swingman Rodney McGruder due to his “perseverance and grit,” Chiang writes in another story. “You might not be the 20-year-old prospect, but you’re still a prospect in our eyes,” Spoelstra said of Mulder. “We value Mychal’s makeup. His game certainly fits. His ability to catch and shoot off the ball, but his makeup, how he carries himself, his progression, these are the kind of things that we want to go out of our way to try to help him. It might be here, it might be somewhere else.”
That Robinson contract is sunk money, period. There is almost zero chance a player with very limited athleticism can show any type of defensive improvement at this age.
He is what he is. A very expensive 3 pt specialist. Maybe if the cap goes up meaningfully it won’t sting as much, but even that’s doubtful.
He played better D the other night than I seen him play. Moved well. We shall see!
Rofl this continued narrative is so far from reality, but whatever…its also not even really $90 million b/c 10 of that is heavily incentivized, and likely wont be reached
He improved in every area last year, besides having a tough stretch shooting early in the season. The rest of the way he was mostly himself, as has been said countless times. His biggest issue defensively is sometimes getting called for dumb fouls
Even when he was missing shots, teams are running him off screens with 2-3 people. He is imperative to their spacing
Bro he had a 10 PER. That’s scrub level
This isnt how stats work…
He lost his job to Max Strus. What games were you watching. Imperative to Miami’s “Spacing”???? How was he “spacing” from the bench watching Max Strus play his minutes??????
His defense is on par with LeBron standing at half court or never going in the post scared to be dunked on or James harden watching players run by him
He shot His way since entering the NBA (as a undrafted FA) to a 90 million contract, while being a starter in an NBA Finals Team, while putting astonishing percentages from three point land (North of 43 percent in his rookie season). He slumped last year, no doubt. But never underestimate a player who improved so much that went from undrafted (didn’t he play div III as a college freshman?) to starting small forward, three point specialist in a Finals Team. The guy earned it. He’ll now be motivated to prove it this year. There are things in basketball that analytics can’t measure and predict, no offense intended.
If you remove the first 12 games of last season, his numbers are fine, and if you remove the first 23 games, he was essentially what he always was offensively, and he was improved in every other area
But again, that doesnt necessarily matter. Him being on the floor is extremely important for this team, just for the spacing he provides
He will be on the bench. Max Strus took his job!
Nobody said both cant play, as they did most of last season…they need both too, especially this year with a lack of options at the 4. Strus fits that spot off the bench, although depending in matchup, I’d switch him and Highsmith as for who starts, as I’ve said previously
Mulder probably wouldnt have been let go a couple of years ago if they didnt bring in Vincent, who is similar, but has a bit more versatility…
I like Mulder, but the Heat have no use for him, with Vincent being there, and also, they have enough other guards in camp that are great fits for the Skyforce in the G-league, and I would much rather have Days, who fits a position of need at the 4/5, even with them keeping Cain, who I also liked in summer league, but not as much as similar guys they had last tear, like DJ Stewart jr, etc, and he also cant play small ball 5 the way Days can. Not that I’m saying theh shouldn’t keep Cain, but just that they had chances to sign similar players, and didnt, and I would take Days over him, even though I would prefer both, and we see what having players at the 4 does for this team…
If anything, I wish they would just use that 15th spot, and if not, the question for me is if Marcus Garrett is the guy you might have to let go, considering the Heat were able to keep both Oladipo and Lowry, as much as I would hate to lose Garrett, but both Days and Cain fit important needs for them right now…I also really liked Dru Smith last year and I think he has improved since then, and could theoretically be useful at the 1-3 positions, and is a really good G-league guard, and he might have more versatility/usefulness right now than Garrett as well, though again, I really wouldnt want to lose Garrett
And at least for the camp roster, why not cut Orlando Robinson, in this scenario, and still hold onto Days, and give him some run in maybe the game against Houston on Monday, which is a good matchup for him?
As I’ve also said, I expect Robinson and Highsmith to be the other 2 starters next to Jimmy Bam and Lowry/Oladipo
Duncan Robinson is going to have a better season. He’s a great shooter!!!