Name: Thomas Robinson
Height/weight (per Basketball-Reference.com): 6-9, 240 pounds
Career stats: 194 G, .463 FG%/.000 3FG%/.538 FT%, 5.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 96 offensive rating, 104 defensive rating
2014-15 stats: 54 G, 14.8 MPG, .467 FG%/.000 3FG%/.603 FT%, 5.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 98 o-rating, 99 d-rating
How he was acquired: Signed by the Nets to a multi-year contract on July 9th, 2015
2014-15 season recap: Robinson, the fifth pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, spent the first half of the season with the Trail Blazers as a lightly used reserve until he was traded to the Nuggets in February. However, he was promptly waived by Denver and was almost signed by the Nets before being claimed on waivers by the 76ers. With Philadelphia for the rest of the season, Robinson actually played a lot and performed well, posting 17.1 points and 15 rebounds per 36 minutes which are numbers inflated by a lot of garbage time play but impressive nonetheless.
Expected role: It’s clear that the Nets really wanted Robinson back in February, so they must have been really happy to be able to pick him up this summer. The former lottery pick and college star at Kansas hasn’t realized his full potential so far in the NBA, but was dominant for Philly at times, so he’s a bit of a reclamation project for Billy King. At just 24 years old, he’s still a young athlete who is a beast on the boards but has an unrefined offensive game and has been criticized for lack of effort. He’ll be a nice piece for Lionel Hollins to give 10-15 minutes to here and there when he needs to win the battle on the glass and could use a defensive boost.
Best-case scenario: Considering how the Nets’ frontcourt isn’t exactly the deepest or most intimidating part of the team, there’s a good chance Robinson becomes a valued member of the rotation which–if his play with the 76ers is any indication–he can excel at being. Brooklyn needs rebounding most of all, which T-Rob brings to the table, as well as athletic rim-protectors, which he is as well. If he can do both of things well, he’ll be a huge acquisition for the roster.
Worst-case scenario: There’s a reason Robinson hasn’t played up to his draft position in his short NBA career, and that reason has led to his short stays in Sacramento, Houston and Portland. He doesn’t always hustle and has gotten a lot of deserved flack for that in the past, which certainly complicates his play. There’s a chance, even as he’s on the doorstep of becoming another forgotten lottery bust, he still doesn’t fix that problem, which, in all likelihood, would make his Nets tenure a short one.
General thoughts: There’s no doubt that Thomas Robinson has loads of talent, certainly enough to make him a useful NBA player. He’s an insane athlete with great rebounding skills but an unsure offensive game with attitude and effort hold-ups, so he’s not a slam dunk to be successful in Brooklyn. But, he didn’t cost much to sign and can be easily jettisoned should he not fit with the Nets lineup.
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