Duncan Robinson Admits It Sucks Being Benched

Duncan Robinson Admits It Sucks Being Benched

It might have been a great year for the Heat after an Eastern Conference Finals run, I’m not sure Duncan Robinson can say it was a great year for him. After cashing in on a 5-year, $90 million contract extension, Robinson essentially fell out of the rotation entirely for a large portion of the year.

Robinson wasn’t quiet about his performance from this past season. He went On his podcast “The Long Shot,” and talked about what is was like to have fellow undrafted Max Strus take his spot in the rotation:

“Not playing, it sucks in a lot of ways… 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, 27, just wasn’t the same threat from 3-point range during the 2021-22 season. Robinson recorded a career low (minus his rookie season in a low sample size) .372 percent mark from downtown. In reality, that’s a pretty good number except for the part where it’s the only thing he can do. Miami often plays zone to cover up for his horrific defense. From the field in general, Robinson was below 40% which is just unacceptable for any player.

Robinson could be a prime trade piece this Summer. Tyler Herro wants more minutes and Max Strus really improved over the course of the season to the point where he’s more than just a shooter. It would make a ton of sense to use Robinson’s contract in a trade to improve the roster. Time will tell what happens to the former Michigan product this offseason.