Profiling the forward from Michigan
After Michigan’s electrifying run to reach the 2013 NCAA Championship the Wolverines were expected to marginally slip off in the 2013-2014 season after losing leading scorers Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. Yes, Michigan failed to make a return to the championship game, yet they made their second consecutive elite eight appearance largely thanks to Glenn Robinson lll, otherwise known as “GR3.”
Between his thunderous transition dunks and pesky perimeter defense GR3 was one of the most enjoyable players in the country to watch play last season. There are few players in the draft that are more athletic than Robinson and he knows how to use these skills to his advantage. In college more than half of Robinson’s points came from cuts, put-backs or transition opportunities and expect more of the same in the pros.
At only 20-years-old, Robinson is still ripening. Like to his old man, GR3 probably won’t be a deadly shooter from behind the arch. Last year Robinson was expected to consume more of the Wolverines’ scoring bulk, and while he did score more points he didn’t improve as a three point shooter. As a freshman Robinson shot 32.4 percent on three point attempts. While this is still mediocre, it did at least give fans some hope that he could one day become a decent three point shooter. A lot of those hopes vanished last season when Robinson saw his three point percentage dip to 30.6.
So the biggest red flag in Robinson’s game is his three point shooting ability, but there are plenty of other wing players in the NBA that aren’t dead-eye shooters yet still find ways to score a decent number of points (Rudy Gay, Tobias Harris, etc). Besides, this guy is not a lost cause when it comes to shooting like a Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. If you create an open midrange look for him he’ll be reliable to knock down a few spot-up jumpers per contest in addition to being a natural when it comes to finishing at the rim. Despite his shooting struggles Robinson was still able to put up 13.1 points per game as a sophomore shooting 48.8 percent from the field. On two point attempts alone GR3 shot an impressive 56.2 percent.
Another valuable trait GR3 possesses is his size. He stands at six-foot seven with a tremendous wingspan of six-foot ten. Combine this with his exceptional athleticism and he has the ability to naturally play at either wing position. These tools give Robinson the potential to be an outstanding NBA defender, but needs to improve his defense if he ever wants to become an everyday starter. Some scouts are afraid he lacks the ideal to toughness to become an elite defender at the next level.
While GR3 may not have completely lived up to the expectations his sophomore year he’s still a great talent that at very worst will bring some excitement off the bench. GR3 comes from good pedigree and I can’t imagine him falling out of the first round despite the surplus of wing talents that are projected to be selected in the mid-to-late first round.
NBA Player Comparison: Slightly better and more consistent Trevor Ariza
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
