Heeeeeeeeeee’s back! Glenn Robinson III will return from injury on February 23rd for the home game against Atlanta. What impact will Robinson’s return mean for the Pacers?
After missing the first 58 games of the 2017-18 regular season due to injury, Glenn Robinson III (remember him!?) is back just in time for the season’s second half, wait, final third.
Overall, his addition is huge. Indy has so far survived its lack of wing depth (Cory Joseph with 26.2 minutes per game and Lance Stephenson at 23.3 are the only Pacer reserve wings to consistently play significant minutes) but with a longer-than-expected absence for Darren Collison (unless you’re Will Furr) his return could not have come at a better time.
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Robinson had his best season a year ago. He posted career highs in basically everything that matters. For two seasons now he’s been one of the top three Pacers in 3-point percentage (second at 37.8 in ’16 and third with 39.2 in ’17). And more encouragingly his shooting percentages across the board have steadily risen each year he’s been in the NBA, a similar trait shared by one Victor Oladipo.
Once acclimated, Robinson will be able to provide consistent offense off the bench while increasing the amount of roster flexibility at Coach Nate McMillan’s disposal. Robinson can guard either wing position, and do so at a very high level.
This will be especially true with Indy now waiting on Collison’s return. Joseph will start, and the bench ball-handling will continue to be deligated to Stephenson and, very occasionally, Joe Young. Robinson will provide a stable shooter and slasher to compensate for Stephenson’s slight shift from the backup 2-guard to the point.
But don’t expect the world during his first couple games. The man has missed almost four full months of basketball. And his stint with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants won’t command much adulation; but who cares, it was a couple rehab games. If he comes flying out of the gate, that’s great, but patience is a virtue.
It’ll take time for him to regain his rhythm with the team. It’ll take time for his shots to fall with the regularity that they were a year ago. But in time they will, and the Pacers will be much, much better for it.
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Indiana does have a nice little buffer to kick off this push for the playoffs. The Pacers should personally apologize to every Pacer fan if they lose to either Atlanta or Dallas (their next three opponents). Both are firmly entrenched in Tankathon 2018; the schedule, however, quickly toughens. They play Utah, Washington, and Milwaukee (twice) before the Atlanta Doormats flutter back to Indy on March 9.
So, while there isn’t much time for Robinson to get his legs under him, there should be just enough before the going gets tough.