Looks like Duncan Robinson has been in the weight room

http://instagram.com/p/tVAkwnnEsm/

Trying this again… Save the nonsense arguing this time around please.

I think the key for Robinson at UM is putting him in situations where he can succeed. I think he is more than capable of filling an Irvin like Role of last year. But I think we’re reaching a bit if we’re asking him to be a primary creator based on his current game. Granted, he could improve in that regard, but I don’t think changing direction will ever be his strong suit. If we get Dozier, Robinson will be a nice supplementary piece. If not, we have to hope Kam can take on a heavy burden.

I think it’s really important to note that Duncan has played in a very similar offense to what JB employs and that is such an added benefit. He’s knows where his shots will come from, where the space will be, know where his teammates will be, etc.

I don’t think of him as a savior but I think he will be a very nice piece to the puzzle…at worst, he’s a lights out shooter with nice size for a 2 or 3, at best he is a 4 year player that evolves into Stauskas-lite by the time he’s a Sr.

I’ll take that.

Guns blazing!

Thanks, madzillagd (and Dylan, too).

Thanks for the analysis. The comment you posted before he committed to Michigan was a nice synopsis and is what we want to see from him, as well:

“Believe what you will. I watched the guy play for an entire season and I think he’ll be fine after he puts on some weight. His game is not based on athleticism, it’s based on intelligence and skill and I think those will translate up to the D1 level. He’s not going to be a star like Nik was, he just isn’t that explosive and creative. But I do think with his shooting ability he’ll be a solid guy off the bench that will always draw the attention of the other team because you simply can’t leave him open or he’ll drain it. He’s much more a Kyle Korver than a Hayward or Stauskas.”

I will say that I’ve seen guys I never thought would play a big role, let alone be a starter, exceed what I thought the ceiling was. JMo, Novak most notably. So I’ll be looking forward to seeing Robinson take the court next season.

Thanks for the insight madzillagd.

Been lurking since Duncan starting looking at various schools and it’s fascinating to listen to some of the ‘experts’ that have never even see the kid play a game. As someone that watched Duncan this past year I’ll try to enlighten a little bit - although all of this is subject to “does it translate to D1.”

DR has length - I’d say he’s above average on his length (definitely not a T-Rex) which can be a benefit and also a potential problem. He’s not a great leaper but he’s quick off his feet and has good instincts so he blocked a lot and altered a lot of shots last year. That’s a habit that needs to be broken at this level because I think it will lead to more fouls than blocked shots. But, his length definitely can bother shooters he’s guarding so that is a good thing.

He flat out strokes it. Admittedly I haven’t watched Stauskas a ton (although I’m a Kings season ticket holder so I’ll be watching him this year) but I think DR is a better 3 pt shooter but no where near as good of a scorer as Stauskas. He’s got range up to 28 ft so if you leave him open, even if it’s 5 ft behind the line he’s going to knock it down more times than not. He can put the ball on the floor but he’s not going to be quick enough to get by people at this level unless he’s playing the 4 and guarded by a big.

He’s lateral movement will be an issue on defense. He’s got great instincts and will get in passing lanes, however, he’s not quick side to side and is going to be much better at guarding 3s than 2s.

Needs to work on his ball handling. He’s ok but not good on handling the rock and it’s not something you really want him doing a lot. Even with a lot of work I don’t think this will ever be something he’s going to excel at, he’s more a catch & shoot player.

He is a good passer and looks for teammates, but he’s not going to be racking assists off the bounce like Stauskas can. He’s a smart and unselfish player so if he sees an open teammate he’ll get them the rock but he won’t force things.

Overall he’s going to be a weapon on offense from his shooting alone, regardless of whether his ball handling improves. He’s just lights-out and stretches the defense. He moves well without the ball to get open. Defensively he’s going to struggle with quicker players and he’s never going to be strong enough to battle inside - it’s just not his body type. I see him as a 3 at this level where he’s just quick enough to stay with guys on defense and his size will be an advantage on offense.

He’s a gym rat, he’s very smart and if he does fall short it won’t be for lack of effort on his part, it will just be his physical skills aren’t quite where they need to be but I think at a minimum he’s a solid bench player.

I think the key for Robinson at UM is putting him in situations where he can succeed. I think he is more than capable of filling an Irvin like Role of last year. But I think we're reaching a bit if we're asking him to be a primary creator based on his current game. Granted, he could improve in that regard, but I don't think changing direction will ever be his strong suit. If we get Dozier, Robinson will be a nice supplementary piece. If not, we have to hope Kam can take on a heavy burden.

I agree and I think Beilein has done a good job of finding how the pieces work.

I think a lot of people think every recruit has to “be” the previous star.
Duncan isn’t Stauskas (lottery pick), nor is he Levert (probably 1st round pick).
He’s Duncan. Let’s let him ball and see what he can do.

Morris, Burke, and Walton were all very different PG’s but all have been successful at Michigan without having to “be” the previous guy.

He looks like a solid 3 for us. Not to quote “he who shall not be named,” but I am still hoping we can find a dynamic playmaker at the 2 to replace Caris in 2015 or it could be a down year. Dozier would be perfect for that role.

Thanks for the great insight madzillagd! Hope that Kings season ticket holder thing works out!

Hope that Kings season ticket holder thing works out!

It works out about once a decade so we’re right on pace to be decent again in 2 more years which will luckily coincide with the new arena.

Why is Stauskas always the end all when it comes to shooters? What did I miss? We have had better Shooters/Scorers/Passers than Stauskas. I love his Game and all, but one would think he is the best player to have walked this campus. IJS

We may have had a few better shooters than Stauskas, but not many…and the ones we’ve had all played at least 20 years ago, so it’s not surprising that they aren’t remembered as well, despite having played four years instead of two. And of the few players who were better shooters, only Gary Grant was a better passer. If Stauskas had played here for his full four years, I think he would have been remembered as an all-time great.

I’ve been a fan since 1983 and the only better shooter I’ve seen is Glen Rice, period. You could maybe make a case for Bullock, but I’d take Nik. There’s really no one else even in the discussion. Who? I’ll throw Garde Thompson in there too, but that’s it.

LAW took the words out of my mouth, I have been watching since 1984 and only Rice has him beat in that timeframe as a pure shooter. Gary Grant was a great player, but never the shooter Stauskas was.

Not bad for a recruit ranked in the 70’s…

Stauskas isone of the best shooters in recent big ten history let alone UM. I’d say Rice and Alford were better, Respert as well, but after that it’s slim pickings. Chaney, Redd and Damon Bailey were pretty damn good as well. Difference between Nik and most of the other guys on the above list is that Nik was a better shooter off the dribble

Don’t forge that the line is a foot further out than it was for the other guys mentioned.

Well, I disagree that Grant was never the shooter that Stauskas was. He shot 46% on three pointers. He had a lot fewer attempts than Stauskas because they only had the three point shot for two of his four years, and it was not as big a part of the game back then, but he was excellent from outside, and his overall shooting percentage was also significantly better than Stauskas’.