Miami Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson recently provided a concerning update regarding his back.
Says “back to drawing board.” And “anything is possible” on timeframe. https://t.co/qOmO0pDLYR
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) April 9, 2024
Robinson saw just 12 minutes of playing time in the Heat’s most recent game against the Indiana Pacers on April 7 and finished with zero points on 0-of-4 shooting from deep.
In a five-game stretch spanning from March 31 to April 7 — which marked his temporary return to the lineup — Robinson really struggled to shoot the ball with accuracy from deep. His best 3-point shooting performance during that span came when he converted two of his five shots from deep in a matchup against the Houston Rockets on April 5.
But when healthy, Robinson has been arguably the best 3-point marksman on his team. For the 2023-24 regular season, he is averaging 2.8 made 3s per game on 39.5 percent shooting from deep.
He averages the second-most 3-pointers made per contest on the Heat, behind only Tyler Herro, who has appeared in just 38 of Miami’s 78 regular-season contests thus far but is leading the team with 3.2 made 3s per game.
Robinson is going on the shelf at an inopportune time for the Heat, who are fighting for their playoff lives at the moment. Miami currently owns the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Heat could realistically finish as a top-six seed and avoid the play-in tournament if they finish the season strong and the Indiana Pacers — the current No. 6 seed — pick up a couple of losses. But considering the Pacers are 1.5 games ahead of the Heat in the standings, it’s more likely that the Heat will participate in the play-in tournament.
The other three teams in line to land in the play-in tournament right now are the Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks.
Considering Robinson’s knack for spacing the floor combined with his underrated playmaking chops, him being sidelined is a huge blow to the Heat. But at the same time, the Heat made it all the way to the 2023 NBA Finals not too long ago without Herro, so they know how to overcome roadblocks.
