Duncan Robinson’s camp has apparent message for Heat amid playoff benching

Nineteen months is not exactly a noteworthy milestone, so it seems like the timing here is not a coincidence but rather an attempt to get Robinson on the court. Robinson has been benched for virtually all of Miami’s second-round series against Philadelphia, playing just one total minute.

On one hand, the Heat signed Robinson, one of the best three-point shooters in the league, to a $90 million contract and are not playing him at all in a series where their outside shooting has been horrendous. In Sunday’s narrow Game 4 loss to Philly, Miami shot a collective 7-for-35 from deep.

On the other hand, Robinson is a poor defender and would be hunted on switches by both James Harden and Tyrese Maxey if he was playing.

Role players generally tend to shoot better at home, so if the Heat’s three-point shooting normalizes (especially with two of the last three games of the series taking place in Miami), Robinson may still ultimately not be needed.