Pro Blue: Duncan Robinson is one win away from the NBA Finals

Only one former Michigan basketball player remains in the NBA Playoffs. Duncan Robinson’s Miami Heat have been the story of the NBA this postseason. After stunning the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, they dispatched the New York Knicks in six games and currently lead the Boston Celtics 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Robinson in particular has been up-and-down. However, when he’s up he is very, very up. In Game 1 against the Celtics, Robinson was held scoreless in just seven minutes. However, he bounced back with 15- and 22-point performances in Games 2 and 3. In

In Miami’s first loss of the series in Game 4, Duncan struggled from the field, scoring two points on 0-for-4 shooting from three.

The hit-or-miss nature of Robinson’s play is more evident when you look at his playoff performances as a whole. Through 15 Miami playoff games this year, Robinson has 14 or more points in five of them. Conversely, he’s scored four or fewer points in seven of those 15 games. It’s been all feast-or-famine from a usage standpoint for Robinson.

Now nearing the end of the second year of his five-year, $90M contract, many Heat fans began to doubt Robinson once he fell out of the regular season rotation — understandably so as he was drastically underperforming the value of his contract. However, he has rebounded nicely during the playoffs and has at least partially warranted his contract.

Regardless, I wouldn’t be surprised to see his contract restructured in some capacity this offseason, as he currently commands over 11% of Miami’s salary cap.

Hopefully before that happens, though, Robinson and the Heat are hoisting the NBA Championship trophy.