The Pistons’ success with their overwhelming defense in Game 2 has some fans asking if they should swap out Duncan Robinson for Javonte Green in the starting lineup, but that would be a dire mistake. Even though Green makes incredible defensive plays, removing Robinson from the starters would do more harm than good because of his offensive impact. Robinson’s shooting has been a major weapon for the Pistons and helped their offense regain its footing.
The Pistons have found a successful Duncan Robinson formula
Robinson has his weaknesses, especially on defense, that Orlando has tried to exploit before. But the Pistons seemed to figure out an effective way to deploy Robinson for maximum impact in Game 2. They were able to cover for him on defense and emphasize his skillset on offense.
Defensively, pairing Robinson with elite defenders proved effective. Ausar Thompson in particular was able to uplift the entire defense with his playmaking, causing turnovers and easier rotations for his teammates. Even when the Magic went at Robinson in isolation, he held firm knowing that he had an elite defense behind him ready to help.
Rather than allowing opponents to get by him, Robinson forced them to shoot jump shots - not exactly a strength of the Magic. When Magic players did attack the rim, Robinson was part of the effective Detroit swarm that limited Orlando to just 34 points in the paint. Personally, Robinson even had 2 steals and 1 block.
Offensively, his impact was palpable on every play. Although he only scored 10 points, he did shoot effectively: 3-of-8 on threes. More importantly, Robinson’s constant movement helped open lanes for his teammates. The Pistons’ pick-and-roll with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren was very effective as a result, even though Duren struggled to score points himself.
Javonte Green isn’t the right fit in Robinson’s place
Green in particular would not be a good replacement for Robinson because of their drastically different playing styles. Green did shoot effectively from outside in the regular season at 38%, but he doesn’t have the same gravity or shooting volume as Robinson. The Pistons offense desperately needs Robinson’s shooting threat since no one else in the starting lineup besides Cunningham is a potent three-point threat.
The argument for Green would be his tremendous defensive impact. In Game 2, he had 1 steal and 3 blocks off the bench. His help defense was incredible to see and completely flustered the Magic when they were least expecting him.
However, Green is best served as part of the Pistons’ bench mob. He’s got a role on the team and plays it well, but Robinson has earned his starting spot for a reason. Until proven otherwise, Duncan Robinson will remain the team’s starting shooting guard.
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