How Does Duncan Robinson’s Impact On Miami Heat Postseason Compare To Last Year?

Duncan Robinson is seeing more time for the Miami Heat than last year.

Miami Heat guard Duncan Robinson’s fall out of the Miami Heat rotation last year was analyzed as a possible reason for the Heat’s offensive inefficiency in the playoffs. In an episode of his podcast The Long Shot, Robinson talked about what it was like having a minimized role as the year developed.

“Not playing, it sucks in a lot of ways,” Robinson said. “Especially when you feel you’re capable and you can help win. It’s a really challenging feeling to combat, especially when you’re on the cusp and in the midst of a run where your team is playing really well.”

Now after being re-inserted, Robinson is having that impact.

Robinson has played in every playoff game this year, as opposed to barely seeing the floor in 2022. He’s only started once but his contributions off the bench are effective regardless. Robinson leads the team in 3-point percentage, averaging 8.5 points on 5.3 attempts. The Heat are second in shooting percentage from the arc among playoff teams after ranking near the bottom during the regular season.

His Game 3s against the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks were both 20-point performances in blowout victories. He made five 3-pointers in each game, and the results showed the effect his shooting has on the rest of the team.

The Heat need more performances like this from Robinson if they hope to potentially win a championship. But first, they need to defeat Boston Thursday night to put an end to any drama.

Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.