NBA Hall of Famer Issues an Odd Challenge to Miami Heat’s Duncan Robinson

The Miami Heat had a fairytale run in the 2020 NBA playoffs. They were just two games away from winning their first title since 2013. Despite falling to the Lakers, they had a commendable run, which included contributions from a lot of players.

Sharpshooter Duncan Robinson was one of the players who stood out in the team. His excellent shooting was vital for the Heat during the season. With his performance throughout the season, he established himself as one of the best catch and shooters in the league.

Charles Barkley’s odd challenge

But Hall of Famer Charles Barkley wants to see more than that from the 26-year-old. He challenged Robinson to learn to dribble.

“Duncan Robinson is arguably one of the top five shooters in the NBA, [but] I don’t even know if he can dribble,” Barkley said. “You make yourself half of a player [if you don’t dribble]. I challenge guys like Robinson to learn how to dribble the damn basketball so you can help your team more.”

Does Duncan Robinson need dribbling to contribute to the Miami Heat?

Robinson is one of the best at what he does. According to Heat Nation, Robinson’s stats from catch and shoot threes in the 2019-20 season are better than what Klay Thompson or Stephen Curry have ever recorded.

If the Heat can get such solid numbers from Robinson, they don’t need him to do anything different on offense. Catch and shoot might seem less effort than dribbling and driving to the rim. But what Robinson does is not simple catch and shoot.

His off-ball movement is second to none. His ability to use the flare, run the baseline, and display smooth footwork to get away from the defender is outstanding. The Heat have Bam Adebayo, who is the perfect partner for Robinson’s three-point barrage since Adebayo is one of the best in the league at screen assists.

Robinson has just played two seasons in the league, and he is already playing like one of the best shooters. Without dribbling, he has been doing a lot to contribute to their success. So Robinson doesn’t need to accept Barkley’s challenge to be able to “help the team” more.

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