Getty Washington Wizards wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope looks on during a bout with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Just as he did during the previous two seasons, Duncan Robinson has played a key role for the Miami Heat throughout the 2021-22 campaign. But even those with a permanent spot in his cheering section would likely confess that it has been a down year for the sharpshooter.
Robinson was shockingly a sub-40% shooter during the regular season. And while he was still respectable from three-point range at 37.2%, that number was actually the lowest mark since his uneventful rookie year in 2018-19.
During Game 1 of Miami’s first-round series against the Hawks, though, Robinson reminded the NBA world exactly how dangerous he can be with a jaw-dropping outburst. In 23 minutes of play, the 6-foot-7 baller dropped 27 points on 9-of-10 shooting with eight of those made buckets coming from deep.
For his part, Wizards wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope probably wasn’t surprised. Washington’s lockdown ace recently made an incredible proclamation about Robinson and how difficult it is to keep him in check.
KCP Pays Robinson an Incredible Compliment
As relayed by NBC Sports Washington, KCP was asked recently to name the player who owns the distinction of being his least favorite player to guard. Instead of namechecking someone like LeBron, KD or Steph Curry, he shouted out Miami’s resident sniper.
“I would say Duncan Robinson. [And] that’s a great compliment for him,” Caldwell-Pope said.
For him, the constant motion that Robinson utilizes while hunting for shots presents a unique challenge.
“Those types of guys that move without the ball and are always moving, I tend to get lost a little bit ball-watching. So, guarding him is always… I’m always focused. Like, he’s my man and I’m guarding him. I probably won’t look at anybody else but him. I’ve got to give him that respect. He’s a great player. Off the ball, he’s one of the best.”
Regarding a recent viral clip featuring the two battling each other on the court, Caldwell-Pope added: “He ran me until I was tired. That’s hard and then you’re trying to do it over 48 minutes. That’s a monster. So, I tip my hat off to him.”
The latest Heat news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Heat newsletter here!
Coach Spo on Team’s Incredible Depth
As great as Robinson was to open postseason play, he was a virtual ghost during Game 2 versus Atlanta, going scoreless over six minutes and never seeing the floor during the second half. Meanwhile, former All-Star Victor Oladipo — who dropped a 40-piece during the Heat’s last regular-season game — has yet to play at all.
According to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, it’s all the byproduct of playing for an incredibly deep team with legitimate title hopes.
“Those are high-class problems,” Spoelstra said, via the Miami Herald. “You got really talented guys and we’re trying to do something that’s really tough to do. Trying to compete for a title. That’s the hardest thing you can ever do in team sports. It requires sacrifice, it requires guys committing to a role and utilizing the entire menu of your roster. Sometimes it’s your opportunity, sometimes it’s not and you just got to give into the team.”
READ NEXT: