5 Miami Heat players making a case to be the next developmental success

1. Orlando Robinson

Since Bam Adebayo became the Heat's starting center in the 2019-20 season, the team has struggled to find a reliable backup big man. As the Heat cycled through the likes of Dewayne Dedmon, Omer Yurtseven, and Cody Zeller, Orlando Robinson emerged as a potential option. He went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft but participated in the Heat's Summer League program for two consecutive years. 

After Robinson spent most of his rookie year on a two-way contract, the Heat promoted him to a standard roster spot last summer. The 7-footer averaged 5.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in 14.3 minutes, shooting an impressive 52.5% from the field. Robinson has demonstrated improvement as a rebounder and has displayed skill in shooting from different levels, even though he lacks vertical athleticism. 

During this 2023-24 season, Robinson is putting up 3.3 points, 1.1 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per contest. Despite his lack of playtime this season due to the utilization of Thomas Bryant as Adebayo’s backup center, Orlando always makes his minutes count. 

“He makes you respect his fortitude and his grit,” Spoelstra told the Miami Herald about Robinson last month. “He is relentless with his work, with his approach, with his commitment to earn trust from everybody and he does it with a competitive spirit. He gets better each month.”