Nate Robinson's Next Chance To Change Perception Could Come With The Golden State Warriors
by Nate Parham on Jan 4, 2012 10:00 AM PST
in Rumors
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PrintIn breaking down the Golden State Warriors' rumored signing of guard Nate Robinson, Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area wrote:
...Robinson didn’t fit with a team vying for a championship, but for some reason he’ll be a perfect fit with the Warriors. That’s a tough theory to get behind.
In fairness to the Warriors, there might not be a guard available with any more talent than Robinson. But again, what does that tell you?
Steinmetz goes on to describe what he thinks that tells us about Robinson. But, as he and San Jose Mercury reporter Marcus Thompson II report, it's not exactly hard to see what the Warriors see in this signing: "He will likely challenge Charles Jenkins, Ish Smith and Klay Thompson for backcourt minutes."
Without delving too deeply into Robinson's numbers, what's clear about this signing is that a) he was available and b) the Warriors are not-so-subtly dissatisfied with their backcourt play behind star guards Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis. It's hard to even know what Robinson will offer this team on the court based upon his performance last season with the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Maybe there's a more practical concern about Curry's ankle becoming a persistent problem here, but Robinson is not Curry and really never has been. This is simply a matter of the Warriors getting terribly inconsistent play from their reserve guards and Robinson being a guy looking to play some ball this year.
Unfortunately, Robinson's 2010-11 performance doesn't exactly inspire much faith in his ability to a consistently focused contributor.
The Boston Celtics traded Robinson to the Thunder after half a season and Paul Pierce's preseason comment that their bench was "too immature and inconsistent" last season could certainly be taken as a not-so-subtle shot at the likes of Robinson (in addition to Shaq, Glen Davis, and possibly Delonte West, all of whom are gone this season). The Oklahoma City Thunder released Robinson in December after he expressed displeasure with their plans to leave him out of the rotation.
So the biggest concern as he eyes a spot on the Warriors is whether he'll be satisfied with whatever minutes he gets behind Curry and Ellis, competing with 3-4 other players for minutes.
Nevertheless, there should never be any doubt that Nate Robinson loves basketball as much as anyone in the league.
Just yesterday, Seattle Times reporter Percy Allen described how Robinson was the last person to play both basketball and football at the University of Washington because, according to basketball coach Lorenzo Romar, he "was so adamant about it. Nate would sneak in here during football season and shoot all the time."
Since entering the NBA, you can find the Seattle native in his hometown at youth summer camps, summer tournaments between local stars, Seattle Storm WNBA playoff games, and reaching out to the up and coming guys. The passion for the game and it's hard to believe it will disappear any time soon if you've ever spent any time near him.
I'm not just trying to give you the cheap "he's good in the community line" as an antidote to all the bad news about him; of all the NBA players that Seattle has produced, Robinson is arguably the one with the biggest and most consistent presence of any current player in his hometown in recent years in ways that demonstrate a genuine love for the game and helping others coming up behind him rather than false charity.
So I'm not going to lie: having had the opportunity to chat with the guy a few times in those different contexts, it's hard not to like him and appreciate who he is beyond the public persona that has become so negative. And while some might see the December story by SI's Sam Amick as mere fluff, it's not entirely difficult for me to believe that Robinson will take advantage of this latest opportunity to help rebuild his reputation.
"One team's trash is another team's treasure," he said. "With whatever team that I land on they know they're going to get everything out of me. I'm going to come to practice early -- first one there, last one to leave. I work hard every day, practice every day and play hard in games whether it's one minute, 10 minutes, 30 minutes or 40 minutes."
No, Robinson is not the final piece of a championship team. No, he was not a positive veteran presence last season. No, he won't singlehandedly turn around a team that has struggled to find any kind of flow offensively. No, I'm not saying his presence in a city without a team says anything about what he'll do on the court for the Warriors at all really.
But the guy wants a chance to play ball and the Warriors roster as it currently stands offers that opportunity. Now it's up to Robinson to take advantage of the opportunity or add to the list of questions about his maturity.
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I'm really curious why the narrative around Robinson is so negative.
He’s almost always been a productive player when he’s seen consistent minutes, and has received nothing but positive remarks from his teammates (Shaq’s dubious remarks in his book aside).
I did this in one of the fanshots, but here’s a side by side comparison to his career numbers with everybody’s favorite Warrior:
Player A:
.537 TS%
25.1 USG%
5.7 TRB%
19.6 AST%
13.0 TOV%
.328 3P%
2.3 STL%
19.6 pts/36 (on 16.2 FGA/36)
.075 WS/48
-0.7 10yr RAPM (Off+Def)
Player B:
.534 TS%
23.5 USG%
6.5 TRB%
19.3 AST%
12.0 TOV%
.353 3P%
1.9 STL%
17.6 pts/36 (on 14.9 FGA/36)
.090 WS/48
-0.4 10yr RAPM
by Spider Jerusalem on Jan 4, 2012 10:13 AM PST reply actions
its because he is short in a very small Guard backcourt.
They feel like we’re going backwards with even smaller players. And I don’t mind their objections, but I also understand what the FO has done here because clearly the offense on the bench SUCKS.
curry & iggy TEAM USA buddies.
by bimmercirem3 on Jan 4, 2012 10:17 AM PST up reply actions
Great article, Nate, and thanks for the stat comp, Spider. Great stuff! Perhaps people feel that one "player A" is enough for this team!
(This part of my continued effort to revamp my image, and become front office-friendly, and supportive of pack behavior patterns, in here)
by dinohealth on Jan 4, 2012 12:08 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs
negative on nate, steinmetz lives in opposite world.
He wants a bigger slower and less fun team. Like the freakin overrated Bulls who will never beat the heat.
This is simply a matter of the Warriors getting terribly inconsistent play from their reserve guards
They are reserve guards, how good do they have to be? Splish seems perfectly good enough if we use him in the boykins mold of disrupt them for a few minutes. and don’t we have another kid named jenks or something?? Robinsin seems like a distraction we don’t need right now as we try to find the door to the future.
Mirror on the wall
Here we are again.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 4, 2012 10:13 AM PST reply actions
yeah, I don't get what Ish did to piss off MFJ
seemed like he was slated to get fairly regular burn…and then…zero minutes
anybody notice anything?
the only possible issue I can think of is that it seemed like he was maybe trying to shoot too much?
"You don't need to be an Adonis to be a good pro player...
…but Lee looks like he’s lived in zero gravity his whole life"
-the Bimbo Coles Experience
by Duby Dub Dubs on Jan 4, 2012 10:27 AM PST up reply actions
ish has been far from bad so far this season
sure he still can’t shoot, but that’s really the only knock on him so far this year
Well that's a huge part of why he's been bad.
He’s shooting 40% from the floor (a career high!) and is averaging a ridiculous 17.1 FGA/36 and running a 23.3 USG%. That’s crazy.
by Spider Jerusalem on Jan 4, 2012 10:49 AM PST up reply actions
Defense is kind. He picks up full court and makes a show out of it, but he had trouble even staying in front of Mike Bibby.
Yes, he has taken care of the ball, but I don’t think he’s set anyone up, really. The offense looks really bad (worse than normal!) when he’s in the game. He usually dribbles a bunch, overpenetrates, and then passes the ball out awkwardly to whoever happens to be standing on the three-point line.
by Spider Jerusalem on Jan 4, 2012 10:52 AM PST up reply actions
the warriors are near the bottom of the league in point differential
and ish is a +29 in 63 mins. his defense has (albeit in a very small sample size) drastically improved our points allowed.
Waaaay too early to feel confident about anything +/- is saying right now.
Or to come to any conclusions.
But fwiw RAPM has Ish at -2.0 right now.
by Spider Jerusalem on Jan 4, 2012 11:00 AM PST up reply actions
Yet his other numbers are gospel for him sucking?
He’s been a positive influence on the side so far. I’m not married to Ish but you’re just being bias.
It's too early for any confidence in +/-.
It’s not too early to know he can’t shoot and that him shooting a lot is not helpful.
by Spider Jerusalem on Jan 4, 2012 1:04 PM PST up reply actions
The point is: possessions are extremely valuable.
Your point guard should know this better than anyone. Him being such a poor shooter, yet shooting so often, is essentially wasting a possession.
by Spider Jerusalem on Jan 4, 2012 10:54 AM PST up reply actions
I would say a poor shooter taking a shot is also wasting a possession.
Not as costly as a turnover (because the chance for an offensive rebound exists), but in terms of marginal value, a missed shot costs your team quite a bit.
by Spider Jerusalem on Jan 4, 2012 11:01 AM PST up reply actions
he has 27 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals, and 1 turnover in 63 total minutes, all while playing solid defense
how much more are you expecting from a backup PG?
Not to get those 27 points on 30 FGA in 63 minutes and one free throw attempt?
by Spider Jerusalem on Jan 4, 2012 10:50 AM PST up reply actions
thanks Spider
appreciate the numbers…yeah, that is some turrible shooting
still, I like his game, hopefully MFJ can bring him back soon with a clearer idea of how he needs to fit into the team plan
"You don't need to be an Adonis to be a good pro player...
…but Lee looks like he’s lived in zero gravity his whole life"
-the Bimbo Coles Experience
by Duby Dub Dubs on Jan 4, 2012 11:01 AM PST up reply actions
I don’t care to much for the numbers, i’m more of an old skool seat of the pants type kat. But this says what i was going to explain….. I’m not made at ish off the bench as a third sting back up, or even 2nd string on hot nights….
also, there was that recent MFJ quote (I think about Rush) knowing "when NOT to shoot"
I initially took it as a dig at Monta (who I think was benched for a while during the 3rd qarter of that game)…but maybe he was talking about Ish
"You don't need to be an Adonis to be a good pro player...
…but Lee looks like he’s lived in zero gravity his whole life"
-the Bimbo Coles Experience
by Duby Dub Dubs on Jan 4, 2012 12:50 PM PST up reply actions
Not to get those 27 points on 30 FGA
As Iverson would say folks, “We’re talkin about backup here, backup. Not starter, backup”
Mirror on the wall
Here we are again.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 4, 2012 3:24 PM PST up reply actions
Ish Smith was contributing
I agree. What did Jackson not like about Smith’s hustle. His shooting was above expectations. Although it now does look like they need an extra player at point. Great timing.
I like Smith though as a backup, quick hustler who shot better. I sure MJ knows what he is doing. He is not playing Dominator and Rush as much and it looks like he wants a slower five out there. Spurs 4th was Nellie Ball against the Warriors with Jackson trying to match up with Pops instead of the other way around. Oh well.
I may have at first wronged this move just a little bit, but have come full circle to appreciate this.
Like I said in previous posts, our bench is clearly made of mostly defensive players with little offensive game. Thus, we they hit the floor, scoring goes down but defense goes up. But when defense goes down as well, offense is just stagnant and we get blown out.
Now our offense of the bench is weak because lets see, Ish, Jenkins, Klay are the guards for the bench. Ish is inconsistent. Jenkins is not getting his minutes because hes a rook (i like him though). Klay is abysmally bad as of now and we were planning to rely on him as our backup guard, yet failed so horribly. Thus that meant one of the starting guards would have to play as the reserve guards. NOT GOOD AT ALL.
Nate actually brings offensive gain with little defense. While he may not be the best at the offense, he is certainly consistent. However, this is the best we can do and I just can’t see any other guards who can help right now unless Klay or CJ picks it up. I would love to see a trade come down soon because this is getting ridiculous.
curry & iggy TEAM USA buddies.
by bimmercirem3 on Jan 4, 2012 10:16 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
fans here have observed often enough
’ Player X is critical for the offense with his ability to get to the rim, create and make his own shots’. Thompson also got hype that he could create shots for himself. Robinson has skills that the reserves haven’t provided consistently, and the cost and investment risk is minimal.
Music is the Healing Force of the Universe (a.ayler)
Nothing exciting....
… but let’s be honest. As beast as our bench has occasionally been on defense, we have no consistent offensive weapon coming off the bench. I would have preferred a wing, but I think they just went out and grabbed the best offensive weapon available.
I see...
Since we cannot get a bigger backcourt, we sign smaller guards to make the current ones look bigger….
Cunning strategy!
by Sérgio Santos on Jan 4, 2012 11:30 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
lol, Duby made the same observation at another blog. Pure front office genius!
by dinohealth on Jan 4, 2012 12:44 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
I don't think it's about 1 player...
Rather the overall lack of punch from the Bench. I think the team is content with Ish’s and Rush’s play. Klay has disappointed a bit. But they’re not consistent enough to be counted on night in and out. I’m glad we made this move. Brings in someone who can score and get’s hot, quick. Good pick up.
As the eternal optimist - aka, a warriors fan, my hopes are:
1. We are preparing our roster to not be totally gutted after we make a trade to get a very good player. Would not be shocked to see Curry dealt and if so, we will need depth at PG. Hopefully any trades made net is a draft pick!
2. Mark wants veterans on board who will be vocal on the court – Nate fits that bill.
3. My hunch is that Jenkins will be the backup of the future (especially given his size) but Mark wants to ship him to D-League to hone his skills.
4. Nate plays like he did in his first couple years, and brings fun not only to the fans but also to the team – who seemed lethargic in last couple games.
The Kwame Brown signing was not bad because we needed salary cap filler to meet the league minimum
Not sure why we would sign Nate Rob though
If you're watching a blowout, you can pass the time by counting the double teapots.
Samurai Champloo > Macross
bench scoring sucks.
very inconsistent. Defense is ok and better than the starters, but scoring is very laggy and that is damaging.
curry & iggy TEAM USA buddies.
by bimmercirem3 on Jan 4, 2012 12:37 PM PST up reply actions
Kwame exceeds playing expectations.
Outplaying Biedrins although different body type. Not soft and not afraid to bang. And he clearly loves the game.
I think we should just welcome Nate, and let MinniJ figure out how to use him.
When y’all come to welcome him, don’t forget to bring a few paper cups along, in case they are needed…..
Important note
Nate’s father lives in Oakland.
Can someone tell me when the game thread comes on; just once, I want to be first to comment!
(It’s part of my new, reformed, Front Office-friendly profile and effort)
From OKC to GSW
LOVING the nate rob signing. Okay so he….totally sucked for the Thunder. But he’s still great to have on the bench.
Tony.psd = Da Man
Manager of Welcome to Loud City
#1 Warriors, Thunder, and Adonal Foyle Fan
The warriors needed a superstar player, well they needed a well liked player who would inspire not just us fans, but the other players as well. I don’t think Robinson is that answer at all, but he is a name that people know. I think it is a step in the right direction marketing wise. Players should want to come play in the bay area, its the bay area after all…but we just haven’t proven ourselves as a sound team. I think there has to be a bigger picture to all of this. A shorter season is good for us, but the Warriors are a mess because they are changing everything they have known about playing basketball. I do believe it is just going to take one player with heart leading this team. Look at Baron Davis. I never cared for him, but look at what he led the Warriors and their fans to believe in.
Look at Baron Davis.
can Robinson play defense like Boom?
Mirror on the wall
Here we are again.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 4, 2012 3:29 PM PST up reply actions
hell
I don’t think Boom can play defense like boom any more
Also, here’s a little internet LOL, some newspaper screwed up BDiddy’s injury
"You don't need to be an Adonis to be a good pro player...
…but Lee looks like he’s lived in zero gravity his whole life"
-the Bimbo Coles Experience
by Duby Dub Dubs on Jan 4, 2012 4:21 PM PST up reply actions
Are the Warriors going to be really bad this year?
Is the lockout going to make us a 90 PPG offensive team? I don’t see us doing much.
by GovernorStephCurry on Jan 4, 2012 2:55 PM PST reply actions
This would not even have been a conversation
if we had, you know, resigned Reggie Williams
If you're watching a blowout, you can pass the time by counting the double teapots.
Samurai Champloo > Macross
might have been
Mr. Potato head is hurt right now, has been all season
"You don't need to be an Adonis to be a good pro player...
…but Lee looks like he’s lived in zero gravity his whole life"
-the Bimbo Coles Experience
by Duby Dub Dubs on Jan 4, 2012 3:23 PM PST up reply actions
can't have it both ways
if they stood pat, everyone would be angry that it’s the same old Warriors. They gambled, cutting what they could, and just couldn’t get anyone to come here. I would have loved to keep Williams and Lin, but I was happy to see the FO try, and then know when to stop before desperately overpaying someone and destroying our cap for the future.
by Ice Watter In His Veins! on Jan 4, 2012 3:38 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
hindsight is always 20/20
foresight is exactly the same as hindsight, you just gotta remember which way your head’s pointing.
Mirror on the wall
Here we are again.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 4, 2012 4:05 PM PST up reply actions
Not really.
ALOT of us were predicting these problems and that is why we all wanted to keep Reggie (and Lin to a lesser degree).
by GovernorStephCurry on Jan 4, 2012 4:48 PM PST up reply actions
Did I scare the boys away?
haha don’t mind those boys, they don’t know a good thing when they see it.
Mirror on the wall
Here we are again.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 4, 2012 11:15 PM PST up reply actions
LGW, still!!
ummm…please excuse me, Shells, but this is fricken hilarious to me
Where is everyone? Did I scare the boys away?
nope, I bet they were all in the game thread
"The way I do it is I tell the athletic trainers the instant pain I feel and this is the worst it has been" - Steph Curry on his ankle 1/4/2012
by Duby Dub Dubs on Jan 5, 2012 1:03 PM PST up reply actions
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