It's a statistic skewed by who is just not included. You received’t discover Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry or Bam Adebayo on this checklist.
However the place you will see that Duncan Robinson is second to just one, with that one being the presumptive NBA Sixth Man of the 12 months.
No, Duncan Robinson by no means knocked on Erik Spoelstra’s door within the teaching suite at FTX Enviornment and demanded a shift to the second crew. It was a transfer, Robinson would later acknowledge, that led to introspection.
And but solely two Warmth gamers averaged double-digit factors off the bench this season, One, Tyler Herro, a finalist for the NBA Sixth Man award, averaged a league-best 20.8 in his 56 video games as a reserve. The opposite, Robinson, averaged 10.2, a second jolt of second-team caffeine for Spoelstra to place into play.
So when Sunday’s playoff opener rolled round, Robinson rolled in with 27 factors within the 115-91 victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks. As a result of lately, since Spoelstra realigned his rotation on March 28, with season-ending 6-1 outcomes, that's what Robinson does.
“This season, I’ve realized so much, loads of alternative ways, loads of completely different experiences,” Robinson mentioned, with the Warmth turning their consideration to Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. Recreation 2 at FTX Enviornment of the best-of-seven opening-round NBA playoff collection. “The attractive factor about this time of 12 months, you simply acquired to lock in on what’s in entrance of you, every part that was is prior to now.
“And no matter I can do to assist us win is what I’m all in for. And no matter that appears like, I’m keen to purchase into it and I'm shopping for into it.”
Till Spoelstra’s reordering of the rotation in late March, Robinson had began each recreation the previous two seasons, with 209 begins in his first 228 NBA appearances. This wasn’t the back-and-forth to the bench that Herro and others have skilled.
Robinson balked when requested if the transition was tough, then supplied perspective.
“I wouldn’t essentially say tough,” he mentioned within the wake of capturing 8 of 9 on 3-pointers in Recreation 1, a franchise postseason report for conversions. “There’s challenges that include it, for certain. Tough is relative. So, for me, it took slightly time, which is predicted.
“I began most of my profession, no less than carrying this jersey. So, in that sense, yeah, it’s slightly little bit of adjustment.”
Spoelstra felt snug with the strategic components of the swap that moved Max Strus into the primary 5. The place he struggled was with the notion that the transfer could be seen externally, because it was, as a demotion.
“It’s one of many issues that I actually disliked about making that call, as a result of I knew on the skin folks could be leaping to a bunch of various conclusions,” Spoelstra mentioned. “In my thoughts, Duncan was nonetheless going to be a significant component. I don’t have to clarify it. However he’s had like some unbelievable moments, which no one’s paying consideration or specializing in the mistaken factor, you realize, about who’s beginning or who’s not. No matter, I don’t care.
“He’s had these ignitable moments the place he can change quarters, hits one or two after which hastily it looks like he hit six. I perceive all of the narratives on the market. That’s the powerful a part of this enterprise. However Duncan’s very regular. He understands that though he’s coming off the bench, he nonetheless has a serious alternative to impression the sport.”
Which he did together with his 11 second-quarter factors Sunday, 1 / 4 when the Warmth successfully put the sport away.
“There’s slightly adjustment in who I’m on the market with, time of recreation, that form of factor,” he mentioned. “In some respects, it could work as a bonus. I really feel like I’m slightly bit much less ready for [by the opposition]. You'll be able to all the time have these first couple of possessions the place possibly they’re not precise by way of who’s guarding who. So I attempt to benefit of that after I can.”
In any other case, he mentioned it’s the identical as in his 68 regular-season begins, when he averaged 11 factors.
“In loads of senses, after I’m on the ground, like my function is what it's,” he mentioned. “So outdoors of time of recreation after I’m on the market and who I’m taking part in with, that’s actually the one factor that adjustments. How I play shouldn’t actually change.”
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