Having it in your genes certainly helps. Projected first round pick Glenn Robinson III, the son of former first overall pick Glenn Robinson, or “Big Dog” is said to have the same type of athleticism.
The younger Robinson certainly has the makings of an NBA player and it is rather evident that he is the son of a former NBA player. Robinson has high basketball instincts and knowledge of the game, seems to always be in the right box-out positions and knows what to do when he is on the court.
While Robinson has the high basketball IQ, he seems to have a few of his father’s not so great attributes. The “Big Dog” often would “dog” it on the court and take it easy at times. Though it is so rare to see a collegiate player do this since they are so young, have fresh legs, don’t play as much and are held more accountable, Robinson’s energy was in question at times.
One way the scouts have nicely described is that he has an “inconsistent motor”. At times he can be way too passive and pass up shots to teammates. It’s one thing to be unselfish, it’s another to just not want to do all the work. In other words, he plays when he wants to.
The shame of it is that he is a nice player when he does want to. He showed this with his dramatic game-winning shot against Purdue. Robinson has a knack for making some of the most challenging things or plays like easy. He is a freakishly good athlete that can do whatever he chooses to do on the court, for the most part.
Well, that was back in college, where being 6’6” isn’t as much of a challenge as it is in the NBA. Robinson can no longer maul people when he wants to at the top of the key as a big guard, because he is playing with bigger guys of course.
That would play into his weakness, which is shooting. Robinson struggled from the outside, only converting 30% from three.
It would seem as though Robinson is best suited for a role of playing defense, being a “tweener” between a two and three. Robinson has great lateral movement (again, genetics) and a great leaping ability so he could actually thrive in the role. He just needs to add a little strength, but aside from that he is set. The question is, would he embrace it?
Pro Comparison: Andre Iguodala
The Verdict: Robinson is an interesting case. You certainly have to like the measurables and the pedigree, but at the same time you have to wonder how far he’ll grow and if he is a starter at the NBA level. From what he has shown, I would not consider him a lock to be a solid regular and if that’s the case, Philadelphia cannot dare to take him in the first round. If somehow he slips to the second (he won’t), this would be a perfect pick. I suspect he ends up somewhere like San Antonio or Oklahoma City and becomes an exceptional role player.
