The San Antonio Spurs have given former lottery pick Thomas Robinson a chance to resurrect his career through NBA Summer League. With promises of a revamped game and mindset, will it be enough to pique interest around the association?
It was a rebound Thomas Robinson probably had no business even getting a hand on.
By virtue of a generous bounce off a Nicolas Batum miss, Robinson’s strength gave him a fighter’s chance; he attacked just a fraction quicker, tipped it to an apex that only his 7’1” wingspan could collect, and pivoted himself into a contested layup that sent the crowd into a frenzy, and his Portland Trail Blazers a few minutes closer to their first postseason series victory in 14 years.
On the Blazers’ very next offensive possession, Robinson was back on the attack, working in a triangular, three-man pick-and-roll set with Mo Williams and Batum. A perfect cut, then a perfect bounce pass, and Robinson had successfully completed the most important three-play sequence of his basketball career.
Analytics suggest that a 2-point or 3-point shot in any setting or quarter are of equal importance on the end result’s box score. For the now San Antonio Spurs NBA Summer League player, and what he did on May 2, 2014, it was difficult to see that being the case.
Never mind the influx of energy it brought to the home crowd that night, or that it afforded now-Spurs star LaMarcus Aldridge the luxury of a few extra minutes on the bench to rest before the knockout blow. What Robinson said of his production in his exit interview presser a few weeks later, serves as a case for this being much more than just an average put-back score:
"“I think I came back this year and showed people that I do belong in this league. Under the circumstances of the opportunities, I took advantage of, I felt like. It wasn’t great for me, but like I said, personally, individually, accomplishing getting the thought of me being a player that needs to stay in this league was fixed this year.”"
Perhaps it’s fitting that Robinson had a similar play (see 3:11 mark) during his return attempt during a Spurs’ Summer League exhibition against the Utah Jazz just a few nights ago on July 3. Robinson, though on offense, found himself in the center of the lane, bullying defenders out of the way for a quick rebound and score.
One thing that’s never been in question is Robinson’s motor; he’s cut from the cloth of players that play every possession like it’s their last.
Unfortunately for him, his “last” came a bit more prematurely than he may have hoped. The last time Robinson contributed to an NBA team was in 2016-17, when he was used sparingly for a 26-win Los Angeles Lakers team.
With a renewed vigor and five years of NBA experience under his belt, Robinson will be looking to return permanently. It’s time to look into his case for that return, what statistics and analytics would suggest about a return, and the brief takeaways to gather from his time in the 2019 NBA Summer League.