Making a case in summer league
Michigan’s Duncan Robinson takes a shot
It might not be the sexiest of titles, but the Miami Heat might be finding their next Luke Babbitt during summer league.
At a time when the little things can matter the most, undrafted Michigan forward Duncan Robinson offered what was needed most in the Heat’s first victory during summer league by displaying a shooting stroke that drew the Heat to him immediately after he was not among the 60 names called on July 21.
“That was somebody that Chet went after right away as soon as the draft was over,” Heat summer-league coach Eric Glass said of Heat Vice President of Player Personnel Chet Kammerer. “You can see why. Chet doesn’t miss on too many guys.”
Starting for the second time in as many games for the Heat at the California Classic, Robinson shot 5 of 6 on 3-pointers and closed with 19 points in the Heat’s 89-74 victory Tuesday over a similar team of rookie, free agents and young players from the Los Angeles Lakers.
“We told him in the huddle, ‘You got to shoot the ball,’ and he did that,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said.
For Robinson, it was a case of arriving ready for this challenge.
“I’m a big believer in there’s no right way to shoot,” he said. “It’s whatever’s comfortable and you’ve just got to rep it out. So that’s kind of how I’ve lived my whole life. I love being in the gym and that’s how I’ve
always been.”
Robinson, who was personally recruited by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra after going undrafted, could be making a case for a two-way contract or even the roster spot held at the end of last season by Babbitt, who again is a free agent.
The 6-foot-8 forward finished fourth on Michigan’s all-time 3-pointer list, with 237 over his three seasons with the Wolverines. He became the 477th Wolverine to score at least 1,000 career points and the 68th to play at least 100 games, helping Michigan to the NCAA Tournament in each of his three seasons after transferring following one season at Williams College.
Included in his breakout effort against the Lakers was an aggressive driving dunk. It was part of an effort to show that he is more than a shooter.
“Just that I’m a complete player,” he said of his desire to display versatility. “I play the right way, I’m unselfish, I play for my teammates and I can make shots.”
Glass, the Heat’s video coordinator, said Robinson had been one of the bright spots during the team’s camp that preceded these games at Golden 1 Center. That now has carried over to these 40-minute summer games.
“Just his command on the floor, nothing surprises him,” Glass said. “He talks. When guys are loud and they vocalize things early, it’s because they see things early. The guys that are quieter are maybe the ones that don’t see things as quickly.
“He doesn’t miss very often.”
Glass said the dunk was not a surprise.
“He’s more athletic than you would think,” Glass said. “He’s more competitive than you think he is. He’s quicker than you think he is. So we like his skill set.”
While the victory over the Lakers was a breakthrough for Robinson, returning wing Derrick Jones Jr. continued to thrive in this first summer stint with the Heat. A night after closing with a game-high 24 points in the Heat’s summer-opening 79-68 loss to the Golden State Warriors, Jones this time finished with 21 points.
“He does some ridiculous stuff out there. He’s just super competitive,” Glass said.
“It’s really nice to see athletes — sometimes athletes don’t have a great feel for the game — he’s really found a way to utilize his athleticism.”
As for the two others on the summer roster who were with the Heat last season, Adebayo closed with nine points and 10 rebounds, with guard Derrick Walton Jr. finishing with four points on 1-of-6 shooting and six assists. Walton is now 2 of 18 from the field over the first two games of summer league.
The Heat again opened with Jones, Walton and Adebayo in a starting lineup rounded out by Robinson and undrafted Arkansas guard Daryl Macon.
Glass said going in that his priority was to get his players quality minutes, rather than playing all of his 14-player roster in each game, this time with veteran guard Rashad Vaughn held out.
“I’m not interested playing guys five minutes one game, five minutes the next game,” Glass said. “I’d rather get a guy 15 minutes one game and sit him the next game so he can get a rhythm.”
Among those looking on in attendance for the Heat were Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley.
The Heat conclude their play in the California Classic with a 5 p.m. EDT game today against the host Sacramento Kings. The Heat then open their schedule at the NBA Las Vegas summer league with a 5 p.m. EDT game on Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans on the UNLV campus.