How Thomas Robinson Can Become An Effective NBA Player

Sixers fans –alright maybe just Sixers Twitter — were irrationally ecstatic when the Sixers claimed Thomas Robinson off of waivers a couple weeks ago. Although he has struggled in his first few seasons, at age 23 Robinson is still viewed as a player with potential to grow.

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Robinson, a former fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft. He has bounced around the league in his first two and a half seasons. The Sixers are his fourth — technically fifth if you include Denver — team that he has played for in his young career. He has shown flashes of being a solid NBA player, but those flashes have been overshadowed by his inconsistencies and flaws in his offensive game.

Through just seven games with the Sixers, it is easy to figure out what T-Rob’s strengths are, but also the flaws in his game that are holding him back.

The first thing that is evident in Robinson’s game is his energy and high-motor. You know when Robinson checks into the game because of how hard he plays on each possession.

Seeing this kind of play, especially from a player of Robinson’s size, is an awesome sight. This kind of non-stop, relentless energy that T-Rob plays with leads him to being a rebounding monster.

Through seven games with the Sixers, the former Kansas product is averaging 8.7 points and 7.4 rebounds while only playing 17 minutes per game. Those numbers translate to 18.5 points and 15.7 rebounds per-36 minutes. T-Rob is averaging a career high 7.7 shots a game over this stretch, so the points are not what stands out. But the rebounding numbers are very impressive and point out his main strength as a player.

What makes T-Rob frustrating as a player is that he will come into the game, bring energy, grab a bunch of rebounds, and then go onto to do something like this:

The Indiana Pacers color announcer actually started laughing after this sequence, which basically sums up how bad this was. Robinson gets the rebound, starts to dribble, tells Isaiah Canaan to get out of his way, then makes a move towards the hoop and puts up a prayer of a left-handed lay-up.

While Robinson’s energy is exciting and great for going after loose balls and rebounds, it has been to his detriment when he gets the ball on the offensive end. He seems to sometimes forget that he is a power forward and not a guard. This leads to him playing out of the control with the ball in his hands and attempting low-percentage shots.

T-Rob’s shot selection is, to put it lightly, not good and he is also not a very willing passer. These two attributes do not go well together and when combined they turn into some bad offensive sequences. He’s literally a black hole on offense. Robinson does not have much of a post game, so he floats around the mid-range area of the court a lot. When he receives the ball on offense, more often than not, Robinson will look to create his own shot by driving to the rim or taking a jump shot, both of which do not usually end with a made basket.

Instead of trying to create his own shot, Robinson needs to let his shots come to him. Most, if not all, of his shots should come around the rim either off of rebounds or dives to the rim. I am even fine with him attempting a wide-open baseline jumper, but he should not be taking contested, face-up jumpers from the top of key.

This is how Robinson should be making his living on the offensive end. Scrap and hustle for rebounds, and finish at the rim. He needs to focus his energy on offense to moving without the ball by setting screens, diving to the rim, and going after rebounds.

Robinson definitely has an identifiable NBA skill in rebounding. At worst he can be Reggie Evans, a guy who has been the fourth or fifth big on a team with his only job being to provide energy and rebound in limited minutes. This is not a bad thing, as Evans has turned his rebounding skills into a 12-year NBA career. But Robinson has the potential to be a much more productive player than Evans on the offensive end. The rebounding and energy are there, but now it is about trying to develop some sort of weapon for him on the offensive end.

T-Rob is a restricted free agent this offseason and he should receive some interest from a good amount of teams around the league. I think the Sixers will definitely look into trying to re-sign him. I would much rather bring him back over Henry Sims, and have the Sixers coaching staff try to develop his offensive game, such as working on his shot. After changing teams four times in three seasons, Thomas Robinson might have found a home for at least the next couple of years in Philly.