Written by No Trade Clause
The NBA knew exactly what they were doing when they scheduled the Miami Heat to take on the Boston Celtics for the first game of the day on Saturday. The memories of an enthralling seven game series between what seem to now be eternal rivals rest fresh in the minds of fans for both teams.
You would be hard pressed to find a soul in Cox Pavilion expecting an event that remotely approached the heights of insanity that the Eastern Conference Finals delivered, but it was not immediately evident from the capacity crowd that decided to attend the exhibition.
Hot on the heels of the NBA announcing that all Saturday and Sunday games had completely sold out, an unlikely hero stepped up to aid the Heat in a back and forth affair.
Starting center Orlando Robinson, armed with a new standard contract, tallied an epic 36 point, 11 rebound, 4 assist, 2 block performance versus the green men from New England. 17 points came in the first half alone. Miami spent most of the 1st half fighting back from behind, but the Fresno State product kept his team in the hunt every step of the way with clean dunks, elegant hook shots, and even three 3 point shots along the way.
You would expect a 6’11” summer league sophomore with a 7’4” wingspan to assert himself in the paint throughout the game, but this showing was unlike anything we’ve seen from him before. He has a mere 31 career NBA games to his name and has yet to eclipse four points for his overall scoring average.
He would not let Miami go quietly into that good night. Here are some key examples:
- Down ten with 6:36 left in the 1st quarter, Robinson took advantage of a timely dump off pass by wing Chase Audige by rocking the rim with an authoritative dunk.
- Facing an eight point deficit not even one minute later, he collected a pinpoint inbounds pass from Caleb Daniels and lunged forward into a Celtics defender for an and-one finish.
- With 4:19 left in the second quarter and the Heat still down by five, he switched onto Boston rookie Jordan Walsh and slid his feet perfectly to stay attached, then placed a sweet crescendo on the play by sending the youngsters shot back to the fan section.
The modern center must carry more in their bag than just a flashy post hook. Rim protection is everything to a competent defense and Robinson did not disappoint in that respect.
Bam Adebayo sent shivers down the Celtics spines and generated a palpable amount of hate from the fanbase after shutting down countless forays into the restricted area. Robinson must have been in the 2nd team all-defense members’ ear over the summer, because his two blocks, while not plentiful, were indicative of an effort becoming of a player that is hungry for more minutes next season.
If the roster stands as constructed, which is becoming more unlikely by the day, he will have plenty of opportunities to relieve Adebayo and keep the Heat afloat, much like he did for 32 huge minutes Saturday.
The Heat seem to be locking in on a group of players that they will carry into camp and beyond. Jovic played 28:03 before leaving in the 4th with an apparent injury, Cain logged 30:27, and Dru Smith threw in another 33:12. Cain and Smith are already locked into two of the team’s three two-way spots and Robinson only has new Heat signee Thomas Bryant to compete against for minutes. What Bryant brings to the table in terms of offense, he easily gives away in defense. This is where Robinson minutes could make a lot of sense.
In the absence of key defender Jaime Jaquez Jr, the center was tasked with switching onto Celtic guards in pick and rolls and more than held his own. The massive human picked good routes, kept his hands out of the cookie jar, and displayed excellent timing that culminated in a left handed swat on veteran Mychal Mulder during a tight 4th quarter stretch.
Celtics fans may be in need of some prayers. It has been a tumultuous few months for them. Nevertheless, if NBA fans learned anything today, it is the fact that rivalry matchups rarely disappoint…even in Vegas.
