The Miami Heat may be beginning to figure some things out. Going on a four-game road winning streak, regardless of the competition as you have to beat who is in front of you, they look to be beginning to show capable of defending at a high enough level to sustain themselves.
While that’s always where their bread will be buttered, the defensive side of the ball, finding some more consistent offense never hurts either. And across their last several games, they’ve gotten offense from a source that had all but dried up over the last season or so until now.
Seeing his minutes dwindle to being nonexistent last season, losing most of them to Max Strus, Duncan Robinson has found himself knocking down a few shots over the Miami Heat’s last few games. Shooting 36 percent over the previous three contests for the Miami Heat, going 9/25, he is showing signs of life.
The Miami Heat are getting something from Duncan Robinson over the last few games. And no matter what they plan moving forward, he has to keep playing.
A career 40 percent shooter on nearly eight attempts, might he start to creep back closer to that number with more reps? That could still certainly stand to benefit the Miami Heat.
As evident by just his last few games on the court, an opportunity he’s seen sparingly over the last season or so, it’s still just as evident as it’s ever been. There are few players who can tilt a court like Duncan Robinson does.
His ability to knock down shots with just an inkling of space still scares defenses. And the instant reaction of defenses to cover him creates so much space for his teammates when he’s on the floor, especially a guy like Bam Adebayo with their usage of the dribble handoff action.
And there are differences now with all of that. And that has everything to do with Bam.
But even if it isn’t to benefit the Miami Heat, meaning they do actually find a way to do what many Miami Heat supporters have wondered aloud about, trading him, they must play him to increase his value. It’s not, so much, about getting the most back, as much as enticing a team to be willing to take on his salary in the first place.
For what it’s worth, he could probably be of most service in Miami’s lineup right now, getting up those attempts. But, again, regardless of what their plan is for him moving forward, to play him or trade him, he has to play to make it all make sense.