Offense running better on Duncan
The empty feeling extended beyond the box score — and extended beyond Duncan Robinson.
A night later, all again was right in the Miami Heat’s world, with Erik Spoelstra’s team running on Duncan.
To recap: In Monday’s 107-103 loss to the Toronto Raptors, Robinson attempted only five shots, with the Raptors going with scrappy guard Kyle Lowry as the primary defender. But Tuesday, with the Boston Celtics also going small against Robinson, there were 12 attempts for the 6-foot-7 3-point specialist.
And when it was over, there was a comparison to no less than franchise icon Dwyane Wade.
“We can’t have our best shooter on the team only taking four shots,” center Bam Adebayo said as the Heat turned their attention to Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
“That’s like D-Wade taking six shots and that’s it. It just doesn’t make sense. What I said was, ‘We got to get Duncan the ball,’ and then we can feed off of Duncan.
“We were doing that. I’m glad he came with the mindset of, ‘I’m going to shoot every time I’m open.’ ”
That proved particularly prescient, with Robinson converting a pair of 3-pointers in the final minutes to keep the Heat ahead after blowing most of a 16-point lead.
Robinson closed 6 of 12 from the field against the Celtics, including 5 of 11 on 3-pointers, a night after going 1 of 5 overall and 1 of 4 from beyond the arc in the loss to the Raptors.
“I give a lot of credit to my teammates and coaching staff, just putting me in situations to be successful, seeking me out,” Robinson said, with Spoelstra giving the team Wednesday off before Thursday’s resumption of play at Disney World’s Wide World of Sports complex.
“I got to be aggressive, even if it’s making a hard cut or coming off a screen hard just to sacrifice and get somebody else open. I can’t just stand. I can’t be a spectator.
“I’ve got to continue to do that and move around and put stress on defenses, whether I’m making shots or not. Just continue to be aggressive.”
Robinson’s contribution was particularly significant with Jimmy Butler missing Tuesday’s game with a sore right ankle and then Goran Dragic limping off in the final seconds with an ankle issue of his own.
Spoelstra said an aggressive
Robinson equates to an effective Robinson, even if it requires added activity to shake quicker undersized defenders.
“He has incredible persistence and perseverance,” Spoelstra said. “He was running his routes with a lot more force and determination. The ball tends to find energy, and he was really aggressive.
“We needed him to be assertive and hunt for open looks. If they double-teamed him, he was much better at making the right play.”
For Robinson, it was a matter of going to school on the Raptors tape.
“I feel that I was being a little bit of a spectator,” he said of Monday’s loss, the Heat’s lone defeat in their three games during the restart amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“I was doing some unorthodox things. I was standing a lot and then I found myself screening on the back side and trying to cut, which I do sometimes, iinstead of just providing the ball space and being a weapon just as the threat of a floor space.
“I tried to be a little bit more aggressive right from the jump and come out and hunt shots. My teammates really found me in situations to be successful. I missed some early, but I just try to keep shooting it and doing my job.”
All while trying to distance himself from those gnats.
“They like to put guards on me that can maneuver screens and make it difficult and stay attached,” he said of his new reality. “It’s just finding ways to be creative, sacrificing and maybe getting somebody else open and still running my cuts hard. [It’s about] being aggressive and just flying off of actions, creating switches, overreactions, whatever it is.”