The Philadelphia 76ers drew their semi-final series 2-2 with the Miami Heat on Sunday night, beating them 116-108. The momentum in this series has completely tilted in Philly’s side, and it’s no mystery why. The return of Joel Embiid, coupled with Miami missing a third 51 in the last two games, has made this a series. One aspect of the match that remains a mystery, however, is Duncan Robinson’s disappearance from the Heat’s rotation.
Robinson hasn’t been doing well lately. Sure, it sounds simple. But Robinson was never a “great player”. However, he is a good player who can hit the right shots at the right time. In game 1 of the Heat’s first series against the Atlanta Hawks, Robinson scored 27 points, scoring eight out of nine thirds. Since then, his game minutes have dwindled to the point where against the Sixers, Robinson barely took off his warm-up. Talk about a quick fall.
In that big game 1 against the Hawks, Robinson played 23 minutes. He was never overshadowed 15 minutes into that streak. Across the four games of this series against Philly, Duncan’s played a whopping 55 seconds, coming in Game 2 in free time. That’s not even enough time to sweat on the pitch. Being in a dog house is one thing, but this is ridiculous. And don’t forget, Robinson signed a five-year, $90 million contract last summer. Less than a year later, he has had no playing time in the post-season period.
The way the Heat have struggled to hit the ball in consecutive games makes one think we might see Robinson again soon. But in a tight Game 4 where it seemed only Jimmy Butler could get it a bucket, Robinson never comes close when entering the game. At the end of the fourth quarter, Robinson was sidelined while still wearing a white long-sleeve Heat shirt over his uniform. I kept thinking, “These guys can’t hit three, so Erik Spoelstra can also throw him out there. “But it never happened.
Miami has a roster capable of going as deep as nine in a game. But in the post-season period, many coaches have shortened their rotations. However, for the Heat, most of the players playing Robinson’s previous minutes were not performing correctly. Victor Oladipo returned to the team in March, but he was inconsistent, at best, in these playoffs. Max Strus played 30 minutes in game 4 and scored six points. Kyle Lowry can’t seem to stay healthy and looks completely out of shape.
Gabe Vincent has played 25 minutes in the last two matches and scored a total of two points.
It’s disconcerting to watch Robinson not even get a chance. Heat can’t hit the ocean from South Beach in games three and four. I know Duncan isn’t a star, but the Spo and Heat coaches need a spark right now, and I wouldn’t care where it came from. Miami was leading this series 2-0, and now it’s drawn, and it looks like The butler is Single player gives a fight.
I know coaches who don’t like to form their rotation based on how much money the players make. But when you have a $90 million guy on the bench, and your team is falling, maybe it’s time to go back. philosophy. Robinson shoots 37.2% from behind the arc during the regular season. Miami could have used that in the last two games, when they shot 21.5% in total.
Robinson wouldn’t win this series alone for the Heat, but for him to be completely out of their rotation is absurd. Game 5 is Wednesday, and it’s a must-win for Miami. Robinson reps even got involved Twitter today, posting about a game in the NBA Finals 2020, where their client made seven 3 pointers. Hopefully, for Robinson, Spoelstra sees this and offers a hint. Get Duncan in and see if he can get out. After all this, I have a feeling we’ll see Robinson again in Game 5 in Miami. The Heat don’t have much else to lose after missing 51 thirds in two games.
