The trade deadline acquisition of Glenn Robinson III by the Philadelphia 76ers hasn’t provided the boost the team had hoped through the first six games of the experiment. Instead, Robinson’s short time in Philly has mirrored the up-and-down, drama-filled movie Sixers fans have been watching all season long.
Robinson debuted for the Sixers on February 9 against the Bulls with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting in just 12 minutes of action, providing a bit of fluidity and movement the offense has been sorely lacking. However, he’s failed to score more than six points since that debut and hasn’t knocked down a single 3-point attempt in a Sixers uniform (0-for-9) despite connecting on a 40% clip from deep while with the Warriors.
On Thursday, in an interview published on basketballinsiders.com by Spencer Davies, Robinson opened up about the midseason trade and the slow start in Philadelphia.
Robinson discussed the human element of the trade, the challenge of uprooting your entire life in a short period of time, and the difficulties of trying to meet his responsibilities as a professional through all that.
While Robinson has a point there, there’s another quote that, fairly or unfairly, is going to garner the headlines.
“When you come here and your role’s not really explained or you don’t know what’s going on with the trade — it’s not like it was a trade where you come in and immediately have an impact. It’s a little different, so… this team is full of wings, full of guys who can play. So really, I don’t really understand it.”
On the surface, that’s a pretty scathing indictment of the coach. It’s the coach’s job to integrate new players, get them up to speed, and find ways for them to help the team. Robinson clearly feels that Brett Brown has failed to do those things, and the early returns support that notion.
However, it’s a two-way street. The player needs to have a professional attitude, and at the end of the day, it’s the player’s job to go out and make shots. Robinson’s 3-point prowess was the main factor in his acquisition by the Sixers so that 0-for-9 looks bad and takes a little weight out of Robinson’s complaints about his role. Make the shots you are expected to make and you’ll stay on the court.
Now, there’s more at play here than X’s and O’s. Robinson is in a contract year and was having a career-best season with the hapless Warriors. Pretty good timing for a guy looking for a payday. But after starting 48 out of 48 games for the Warriors and averaging nearly 32 minutes per game in Golden State, Robinson has started two of his six games as a Sixer and is playing just 14.5 minutes per night. The move to a contending team could potentially disrupt Robinson’s quest for a lucrative contract.
Coming off a loss to the lowly Cavaliers and facing injury concerns regarding the team’s two franchise players, the last thing the Sixers need is a disgruntled employee making comments to the media and seemingly throwing the coach under the bus. However, in fairness to Robinson, there are a few things we have to consider.
First, his frustration is understandable. He’s a basketball player and a competitor, and he wants to play, compete, and show what he can do. He was getting that opportunity with the Warriors, and now it’s been significantly reduced. Furthermore, the window to get paid for professional athletes is a rather small one, and it’s only natural that Robinson wants to take full advantage of the opportunities he has to do so.
Second, while the above quote is the part of the article that will elicit eyeball emojis and consequently draw all the attention, it doesn’t paint the full picture. Robinson went on to discuss the prospects of success for the Sixers and put forth an optimistic front.
“A lot of talent. I think we can go as far as we stick together and want to go. We’ve just got a lot of great players and they know how to play the game. That’s the biggest thing, so as long as we can stick together, come together… it’s about defense for this group. We’ve got all the talent in the world to score. I think that we’ve got high chances.”
That doesn’t sound like a guy who is completely displeased with his circumstances or one who wants to let personal frustrations get in the way of team goals. The timing and tone of Robinson’s comments weren’t ideal, but they also weren’t the “one bad apple spoils the bunch” type of comments that they will be made out to be.
The good news, at least for Robinson, is that with injuries to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid he is likely to get a more extended opportunity to show what he can do. Hopefully, for both him and the Sixers, he can get back to playing the way he was in Golden State as the Sixers desperately try to salvage a once-promising season. [lawrence-related id=26229,25936,25657,25412]