With Paul George and C.J. Miles sitting with injuries, Glenn Robinson III has been impressive for the Indiana Pacers. Even when they return, his play should earn him a larger role in the rotation.
The Indiana Pacers have struggled to be on the right side of .500 in the first month of the season.
A shocking 91-70 win against the Clippers on Sunday has the Pacers at 9-9. The Pacers beating the Clippers under any circumstances would be a surprise, but it’s unbelievable that they did so without Paul George or C.J. Miles.
One of the reasons they’ve survived without their superstar (George) and one of their better players (Miles) has been the play of Glenn Robinson III.
Over the past five games in which he’s totaled at least 25 minutes in each, Robinson’s averaging 14 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 49 percent from the field.
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In the last two games, both wins, Robinson had a share of leading the Pacers in scoring.
Robinson has been a breath of fresh air. On a roster full of veterans, youth is an issue. Outside of Myles Turner, there isn’t a lot of reason for optimism that the Pacers’ younger players are capable of growing into productive rotation parts.
At age 23 and on a contract for just a tad more than $1 million per year that runs through next season, Robinson’s ability to step in is a breakthrough for the Pacers.
Even when George and Miles return, Robinson should be a regular in the rotation.
GR3's is also filling an internal void for Indiana. Needed shooting & defense off the bench. GR3 can do both. Makes a trade less pressing.
— Jon R. LaFollette (@JonLawFilet) November 28, 2016
His role has fluctuated early in the season. He’s earned two DNP-CDs this season and has also played as much as 44:52 in a game.
Some of the minutes he played even prior to the injuries to George and Miles only came because of an injury that sidelined Rodney Stuckey for 10 games.
As a young player with potential to be a 3-and-D wing, he’s earned a spot in the rotation regardless of the team’s injury situation. At 6’6″ with a 6’10” wingspan and solid shooting stroke, Robinson is a near-ideal prototype for the coveted 3-and-D wing.
The Pacers lack depth when it comes to players capable of being a wing who can play both shooting guard and small forward. Outside of George and Miles, nobody outside of Robinson fits that description.
Such a roster fit makes it hard for them to play small-ball. Small-ball is traditionally just replacing a big with a wing. Adding Robinson gives the Pacers some added versatility to play around with.
The Pacers are loaded with shoot-first combo guards and bigs. The rest of the league has shifted towards more wing-heavy rosters while the Pacers have been a tad more traditional in roster construction.
The Pacers need to give Robinson minutes to see if his play on both ends is just a hot streak or if it’s sustainable.
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Having young 3-and-D wings can be a great advantage for a team. Look at the Atlanta Hawks, who have developed DeMarre Carroll, Kent Bazemore, and currently Tim Hardaway Jr. into solid 3-and-D wings.
All three of those players were unheralded afterthoughts when they came to Atlanta. Carroll left for Toronto to the tune of $60 million over four seasons. Bazemore remained with the Hawks on a $70 million deal over four seasons after a big debut season with the Hawks.
Hardaway is a work in progress, but has taken major steps towards cashing in on his Hawks’ predecessors.
This isn’t repeatable for every team, but turning someone with little to no value into a $15 million-plus per year player can make a huge difference for a team.
The Pacers seemingly did that towards the end of last season with Solomon Hill, who showed enough promise in a late-season surge to earn a four-year, $52 million deal with the Pelicans in the offseason.
The Pacers have had a real knack for mining and developing young talent. It appears they've done it again with (@GRIII) Glenn Robinson III.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 28, 2016
With Hill gone, Robinson could be the next successful product for the Pacers.
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When it was announced that George and Miles would miss games, the best-case scenario seemed to be winning a game or two as they were on the mend. Out of nowhere, Robinson has shown that the best-case scenario might be finding the additional wing player they desperately need.