Duncan Robinson is heading towards the Detroit Pistons as a replacement for Malik Beasley, and he has more gravity than the controversial Sharpshooter, a former Miami Heat teammate claims.
The Detroit Pistons became the first team in NBA history, tripling their winning totals and winning in 44 games.
A major reason for their success was their improvement in shooting, which took 36.8% to 36.2% shooting during the season from 34.8% to 36.2% shooting. The addition of Malik Beasley helped, but it didn’t look like he’d immediately play in the NBA after being investigated for gambling.
To replace the surrounding needs, they conducted a “Ignival” Duncan Robinson sign-and-trade.
During his seven seasons with the Miami Heat, Robinson shot 39.7% from deep, solidifying himself as one of the best snipers in the entire NBA. As Cade Cunningham finally got the opportunity to do real offense at intervals, he was able to make his first All-Star and All-NBA team last season, and it is expected that Robinson will continue to unlock Cunningham’s talent.
“He’s the guy igniting,” Udonis Haslem summed up. “But what he is trying to do for them is that Kade Cunningham and others will be opening up.
“When Duncan stepped into the basketball court, the defensive response was that they were protecting him and not helping side defenses. They didn’t understand why the offensive shooter couldn’t defend with the other shooters. He’s literally doing the same thing as you.”
Detroit’s shootings improved last year, but their defense also received a major boost from Aussal Thompson’s continued growth. Haslem isn’t sure Robinson can bring a lot to the defensive side.
“Shooters can’t protect the shooter,” he continued. “Defense is something Duncan worked on. He knows that. You have to protect someone, Duncan. But offensively, it’s trying to help them a lot.”
The lineup of Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Thompson, Robinson and Jalen Duren should be enough for the pistons to compete in the east, at bench depths.
In Detroit, Cade Cunningham is one of the “men.” The Tigers have Taric Scubar and Riley Green, the Lions have Amon La St Brown and Jared Goff, and the piston has Cunningham.
Cunningham is expected to become an even more effective scorer next season as Robinson sets the fire from behind the arc and pulls defenses from the paint.
“With Duncan Robinson on the floor, there’s a lot of pressure from Cade Cunningham and the others,” Haslem said. “It’s going to free those guys. Once those guys are free, we’ll see Duncan Robinson start knocking down the shots.”
Robinson is far from a solid defender, but if he’s on the corner, the weak rim protector doesn’t get fooled towards the rim, offering a dump-off option with Thompson’s rim, or a kick-out option for Robinson in the event of a defence collapse.
Last season, the Pistons took a big step. This year is your chance to prove they belong to other candidates.