Miami Heat: Duncan Robinson Seems To Have Real Case Of ‘Yips’

The Miami Heat and those that support them are seeing something really unusual right now. Well, that’s, at least, relative to the rest of his time in Miami.

Duncan Robinson can’t make shots. While the answer seemed to be a cold streak to open the year, nothing more or less for one of the best shooters in the league, things seem to be progressing past that level now.

While the spotty range shooting is one thing, there was an instance in a Wednesday loss to the Lakers that really blows the mind. Near the end of the game and needing the free throws, Duncan Robinson missed a pair.

Struggling to shoot the range shot is one thing and even at over 40 percent on nearly eight attempts for his career, but for a a career 86.7 percent free thrower to miss two crucial ones like that, it’s something else.

Duncan Robinson seems to have a real case of the yips. Here is what theMayo Clinic describes them as.

The Miami Heat need Duncan Robinson’s shooting to be their best selves. Until he can shake out of his funk though, they must keep encouraging him.

"The yips are involuntary wrist spasms that occur most commonly when golfers are trying to putt. However, the yips can also affect people who play other sports — such as cricket, darts and baseball.It was once thought that the yips were always associated with performance anxiety. However, it now appears that some people have the yips due to a neurological condition affecting specific muscles (focal dystonia)."

At this point, one can only assume that it’s physical or physiological. That’s, especially, after a typical sure-shooter missed two crucial ones and of that variety, the easiest shots in the game.

That’s actually a good thing though, if you really think about it. That means that he hasn’t just forgot how to shoot, but will take buffering, reinforcement, and more confidence instilling by his coach and teammates.

That’s just what they seem to be doing too. Here is what Tyler Herro had to say on Robinson after Wednesday’s game.

"All shooters go through slumps. Dunc is one of the hardest working guys…We’re not worried about Duncan. When he’s not shooting 10-15 threes, that’s when we’ll be mad at him."

I think that says it all. They won’t stop encouraging him to shoot and you shouldn’t want him to.

He’s still and elite shooter, though he has yet to show up this season. When he does, this Miami Heat team jumps to another plateau.

A guy that has shot the way he has across his career doesn’t just lose it. Once he does find it though, that’ll bring a ton of relief to a Miami Heat team desperate for it and a fanbase clamoring for results from the sharpshooter.