Sir Charles in Charge
Fansided

The story behind the undrafted players that are fueling the Miami Heat’s run

By Justin Chen

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 29: The Miami Heat pose with the Bob Cousy Trophy after defeating the Boston Celtics 103-84 in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 29, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 29: The Miami Heat pose with the Bob Cousy Trophy after defeating the Boston Celtics 103-84 in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 29, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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Duncan Robinson (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Duncan Robinson (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Duncan Robinson

Duncan Robinson. One of the longer-tenured Heat players on the roster, he was also one of the first undrafted players that put the spotlight on the Heat’s development and scouting staff on unknown players. He started out at a small Division-3 college at Williams College, where he led the team in multiple categories: points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals.

Due to the departure of Williams College head coach Mike Maker, many college coaches were also drawn to the potential in Robinson. Though he considered staying, Michigan won the bid for Robinson, and he immediately made an impact, averaging 11.2 points as well as 45% from deep. His hard work would pay off even more as he won Sixth Man of the Year in 2018.

However, not many NBA scouts were as excited as D1 coaches which prompted Duncan to send out texts to media outlets to pursue sports media as a future in the NBA seemed more and more unlikely.

Robinson kept grinding and found a temporary spot in the NBA Summer League with the Heat, where he proved himself to be NBA-worthy after averaging 12.4 points on 58% from the field and 63% from deep. Like many other undrafted Heat players, he signed on with the Heat on a two-way contract and spent the majority of the 2018-19 season with the Skyforce.

He elevated his play, averaging 21.4 points on 51% shooting and making nearly half of his threes with 48%. Robinson finally got a full-time NBA opportunity in the 2019-20 season after his performance in the G-League, starting 68 out of the 73 games he played and was able to average 13.5 points. His efficiency carried over to the league as he averaged 47% from the field and was one of the best three-point threats in the league, making 45% of his threes.

Though Robinson’s contribution to the Heat’s 2020 Finals run and consistent shooting helped him sign the largest contract ever for an undrafted free agent at 5-Years/$90 million in 2021, he hit a roadblock during the 2021-22 season, where he saw his minutes and role diminish due to a combination of poor shooting and defensive breakdowns and led to Max Strus stepping into his spot. It all led to him being benched throughout the majority of the 2022-23 season, where he only averaged 16.5 minutes, the lowest out of all the years besides his two-way year.

However, Robinson changed his game for the better, visible so far in the 2023 playoffs. He has further developed a two-man game with Bam Adebayo, with pick-and-rolls that lead to either Duncan driving and lobbing it to Adebayo or him taking it off the dribble and finishing at the rim, something we haven’t seen much. His shot has also vastly improved, making an absurd 74% from three in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks as well as being played consistently by Spoelstra.

His defense, especially whenever the Heat play zone, has gotten better. He’s no longer being hunted as much as he was in previous years and overall his confidence has skyrocketed,  even taunting whenever he gets on a run.

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