Jeremiah Robinson-Earl played in 17 games for the Indiana Pacers before they waived him in December to sign Garrison Mathews to a standard deal. Robinson-Earl isn't a needle-mover, and it's a minor move at the end of the day, but Indiana has quickly realized how much it misses his defensive versatility, energy, and rebounding.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl showed flashes with the Pacers
During his stint with the Pacers, which included three starts, the Missouri native averaged 4.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 17.6 minutes. This includes a fantastic performance against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 5, when he recorded eight points and 15 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench.
Robinson-Earl was never going to be a long-term contributor in Indiana, but he showed just how much he can offer. And given that this season is all about experimentation and trying out different players, that made him an intriguing addition.
The Villanova alum had his flaws. He is not a playmaker, his shot was very inefficient with the Pacers (he shot 34.9% from the field and 24.2% from beyond the arc), and he wasn't an ideal fit in the team's system. Still, there is a lot to like about his game, particularly his defensive versatility and his energy.
This was especially noteworthy during Indiana's 108-89 loss to the Washington Wizards on Dec. 14, when the team was outrebounded 56-41 and played with no energy. The loss was an unconventional one for the Pacers. So much so that, after the game, head coach Rick Carlisle called it "not acceptable" and called out the team's lack of energy and aggression (h/t Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star).
"Ugly game from our perspective," said Carlisle who missed out on his second chance at becoming the 11th coach in NBA history with 1,000 career wins. "Washington played a great game. Really they established aggression from the very beginning and carried it through to the end. Gotta tip your hat to them. The way we played today is not acceptable. Not enough energy. Not the right spirit. Obviously not enough aggression, physicality. You can kinda go down the list."
Having Robinson-Earl would not have guaranteed a win. At all. But this is the exact reason he was an appealing player for the Pacers. He always plays with heart and never leaves anything in doubt. Though he is not an All-Star-level player, he can still buy into his role very well, and the Pacers saw that firsthand.
To be fair to Indiana, Mathews is playing pretty well. In his last six games, he averaged 8.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while shooting 44.8% from the field and 42.3% from deep. And if the team had to get rid of Robinson-Earl to keep him around, then so be it. Still, the 25-year-old has a lot to offer. Just not in Indiana.