Orlando Robinson, the Heat’s new “homemade” success

For several seasons now, we have known the high quality of in-house development at Miamiwhere each season, players arriving in Florida through the back door, often undrafted, become reliable “role-players” in Erik Spoelstra’s rotation.

This season, this new “homemade” success could well be Orlando Robinsonundrafted last June after a good college career at Fresno State (15.7 points and 8 rebounds on average in three seasons), before playing the Summer League with the Heat in July in Las Vegas, then being signed by the club with a “two-way contract” in November.

Little used by his coach in the last month, the rookie pivot was entitled to the first significant mobilization of his career on the night of Monday to Tuesday, on the occasion of the Heat’s victory against Wolves: 15 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in 27 minutes off the bench.

” When I learned that Bam [Adebayo] was not going to play, I quickly realized that an opportunity was going to present itself. I had in mind to simply give my all to contribute to the victory, and that’s what I managed to do. » commented the main interested partywho keeps a cool head, after this first real performance in the NBA.

A match played without Bam Adebayo, ill, forcing “Spo” to start with a five major small-ball (Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, Max Strus and the other rookie, Nikola Jovic). Before the Heat coach, to face the size advantage of Wolves, who alternated between Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid, decided to launch the 22-year-old and 2m08 rookie, who on certain sequences clearly dominated the French pivot and its lining in the physical challenge.

” He was the player of the match. Everyone talks to him, teaches him things, gives him directions. But he remains very stable and calm. He knows how to receive information, then immediately apply what is asked of him » then concluded his coach. ” Of all the players who have played with us during the Summer League, he is certainly the one who has improved the most. This is his third or fourth game played with significant minutes. It still doesn’t lead to those kind of stats [contre les Wolves]but it shows that he is slowly but surely gaining the trust of the team. »