Duke men’s basketball 2017-18 player review: Justin Robinson

Robinson peaked with a 10-point game at Pittsburgh.
Robinson peaked with a 10-point game at Pittsburgh.

Justin Robinson

· Year: Redshirt sophomore

· Height: 6-foot-9

· Position: Forward

· This year’s stat line: 1.6 PPG, 0.7 RPG, 0.375 3FG%

· The Blue Zone’s projected stat line: 0.6 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.4 APG

Season breakdown:

Seeing time in just seven games, Robinson was not given many opportunities, stuck behind one of the most talented units in the country. But in the few minutes that he got to play, Robinson made the most of them. Playing mostly away from the rim, the lengthy forward only attempted—and made—two shots this season that were not from beyond the arc.

His best game came against a lowly Pittsburgh team that managed to lose every single ACC conference game, when he put up 10 points in 18 minutes of play while shooting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. 

Outside of this game, Robinson was relegated to bench duty for almost the entire season, seeing a combined 26 minutes in the next 17 games before tournament time in March, with Robinson not even seeing time on the court in 10 of those games. His biggest moment arguably came in the preseason, when he threw down a thunderous dunk against Northwest Missouri State—tune to 0:38 to watch. 


Results relative to expectations:

With only 1.7 minutes per game in 2016, very little was expected of Robinson, especially due to an incredibly talented starting five that all played at least 26 minutes per game. 

Since Robinson’s only scoring in his redshirt freshman season came at the foul line, his increased shooting from beyond the arc shows that he can continue to be a serviceable piece at the end of the bench. As a lengthy forward that can stretch the floor, Robinson could be helpful down the road if he continues to develop. 

Check back tomorrow for a review of Gary Trent Jr.'s season. The Blue Zone has already reviewed Grayson Allen,Marvin Bagley III, Marques Bolden, Wendell Carter Jr., Javin DeLaurier, Alex O'Connell, Jordan Goldwire and Trevon Duval's campaigns.

Discussion

Share and discuss “Duke men’s basketball 2017-18 player review: Justin Robinson” on social media.