Duncan Robinson was essentially a backup plan for the Detroit Pistons. That's not meant to sound disrespectful to the former Miami Heat sharpshooter, but if the Pistons were able to re-sign Malik Beasley, they probably wouldn't have brought Robinson into the fold.
But their hand was forced with Beasley under investigation for gambling by the U.S. District Attorney's Office, so they signed Robinson to a 3-year, $48 million deal — and have quickly realized that was a great decision. Robinson has pretty flawlessly occupied Beasley's role in Detroit, that of a movement, knockdown shooter, and the Pistons are seeing why Robinson was so successful in Miami for years.
On the season, Robinson is averaging 12.6 points per game and shooting over 40 percent from 4-point range, and if he keeps that up, it would be his first time eclipsing the 40% mark since the 2020-21 season. He's become a weapon for the Pistons and their MVP candidate, Cade Cunningham, who has been Robinson's top assister on the season. No, I don't know if that's a real word.
Duncan Robinson has not missed a step in first year with Detroit Pistons
When a player gets so used to playing a role in one system — as Robinson did under Erik Spoelstra with the Heat for seven seasons — it's not uncommon for them to struggle when they finally head to a new city, team, and coach.
That hasn't been the case with Robinson. In fact, he might be more comfortable with the Pistons than he was with the Heat. He's a full-time starter, playing more than 32 minutes per game, and is the Pistons' primary floor-spacer, giving Cade Cunningham the room he needs to operate the offense.
It can't be overstated how important a movement shooter like Robinson is to a team like the Pistons, who have a talent overload but not an excess of outside shooting (they rank No. 20 in the league in 3PT%). Robinson plays so many minutes because he's not a luxury, he's a necessity. With Cunningham's offensive dominance relying so much on driving and getting into the paint, having a top-tier shooter slinking around the perimeter is essential.
Aldo, if you're wondering whether the Heat miss his services, though... Not at the moment! Miami is No. 5 in 3PT% and the addition of Norman Powell has made Robinson's departure not feel so detrimental. Nevertheless, it's good to see former Heat stars thrive elsewhere... Unless these teams play each other in the postseason. At that point, the cordial breakup will no longer be cordial. Until then... Good for Duncan!