Pistons new addition Duncan Robinson has a major role to play next season as the premier long-range sniper currently on the roster. He’s got big shoes to fill after Malik Beasley’s historic shooting last season, but he revealed that he feels supported by his teammates in that effort. At media day, Robinson shared some insight into being a Pistons sharpshooter by praising the bigs for their screens.
The Pistons have great screen setters
When talking about his fit on the team, Robinson emphasized that Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart are some of the best and most selfless screeners he’s ever played with. These screens will be pivotal to getting Robinson opportunities at open shots or freeing up space for his teammates.
Robinson has established himself as a shooting force in the league since finding a permanent role on the Miami Heat. He has multiple seasons of shooting around 40 percent from three on high volume, which will force defenses to respect him even if he’s not on a heater.
Additionally, Robinson has some underrated chops off the dribble and passing. He’s grown as a playmaker on the ball when coming off screens and can find open teammates when defenses sell out to stop his outside shooting.
One of Miami’s most dynamic offensive sets was a dribble hand-off between Robinson and Bam Adebayo, which Robinson is now excited to implement with Jalen Duren. A key to making this type of play work is a strong screen from Duren which can give Robinson a running start to create an advantage. Establishing early chemistry with the screeners can make a world of difference for Robinson’s performance this season.
Robinson even mentioned that Isaiah Stewart has gotten angry with him for not using the Beef Stew screens enough in practice. Stewart was a great screener last season in a simplified offensive role, but is now looking to expand his game back out to the arc. Getting him involved in some actions with Robinson can get Stewart open looks from outside, and help establish his shooting as another weapon for the Pistons.
Duncan Robinson is a clever shooter who is far from a one-trick pony despite specializing in hitting threes. He’s also great at misdirection and cutting behind the defense when they top-lock him. In these opportunities, he’s big enough to finish at the rim and selfless enough to find teammates in open spots. And the better screens he gets, the easier his job becomes all around.
Going into his first season on a new team, Duncan Robinson seems very excited to play with the Pistons’ young bigs. With some proper bone-crushing screens from them, Robinson might even be able to replicate some of Malik Beasley’s long-range shooting impact.