Duncan Robinson had a roller coaster ride as a member of the Miami Heat this season.
On his “The Long Shot” podcast, the undrafted shooter kept it real about the adjustment that he took from being a playable two-guard to out of the rotation player under Erik Spoelstra.
“It does not if you’re playing JV basketball, if you’re playing middle school, if you’re playing college basketball, if you in the NBA, the highest level, not playing, it sucks in a lot of ways,” Robinson said about what he felt on his own situation, according to David Lang of Local 10.
“Especially if you’re capable and you can help win. It’s a really really challenging feeling to combat. Especially when you’re on the cusp of and in the midst of a run where your team is playing really well. It’s this really challenging mix of emotions of excitement because you’ve sacrificed so much to the team and in your personal life to be in this situation, but you also understand with that sacrifice comes an expectation to feel like you have a role where you’re contributing.”
Robinson took a dip in terms of availability this 2021-2022 campaign for Miami. After averaging 25.9 minutes per game and appearing in 68 of his 79 games as a starter in the regular season, he was benched and replaced by Max Strus in the team’s starting five for the whole playoffs.
In the 13 games he logged in this postseason, he recorded an average of a lowly 12.2 minutes, while having 5.6 markers on it.
He inked a contract extension last offseason worth $90 million, but he remains as one of the rumored trading chips of the franchise next month.
Still, Robinson respects the decision of the brass about the club’s recent postseason run, openly admitting that he’ll embrace everything that will be tasked on him.
“Some of what’s happening to me is outside of my control. What I can control is how I respond to it. How I choose to embrace these challenges… in a team setting, not necessarily to the masses.”
“If this is the new reality of my role, as corny as it sounds, I have to do whatever it takes to excel in it.”
