Duke men's basketball 2018-19 player preview: Justin Robinson

<p>Robinson played without a scholarship last season, but just earned his second in three years at Duke.&nbsp;</p>

Robinson played without a scholarship last season, but just earned his second in three years at Duke. 

Justin Robinson

  • Year: Redshirt junior
  • Height: 6-foot-10
  • Position: Forward
  • Last year's statline: 1.4 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 4.8 MPG

Game Breakdown: Robinson came to Duke as a walk-on, but has steadily improved and carved out a meaningful role for part of ACC play last season when the Blue Devils were managing injuries in the frontcourt. When Javin DeLaurier and Marques Bolden were both sidelined at Pittsburgh and Wendell Carter Jr. temporarily went down with an injury in the first half, Robinson was forced into action and knocked down three triples on his way to 10 points, almost half of his career scoring output.

Offensively, Robinson almost exclusively spends his time on the perimeter—17 of his 19 career field-goal attempts have come from 3-point range. Listed at 202 pounds, Robinson is lighter than almost all of Duke's other forwards and is not accustomed to battling in the low post against opposing big men, though he did train to be more physical over the summer alongside DeLaurier under the tutelage of his Hall of Fame father David Robinson.

Role on the Team: Robinson will likely play behind Bolden and DeLaurier again, but could see more time with the Blue Devils thinner in the frontcourt after the departures of Carter and Marvin Bagley III. Duke also intends to use a five-out motion offense this season, which favors Robinson as a more agile big man who is comfortable on the perimeter. Expect Robinson to see frequent playing time during the Blue Devils' typical nonconference blowouts, but it will still be a challenge to get on the floor much when Mike Krzyzewski shrinks the rotation for conference play.

NBA Comparison: Ten-year NBA journeyman Anthony Tolliver has hung around in the league thanks to an effective 3-point shot and smart, disciplined defense. Tolliver is a career 37.6 percent 3-point shooter, with 63.3 percent of his field-goal attempts coming from long-distance, and is one of the best players in the NBA at taking charges. Robinson could provide a similar veteran presence and skillset for this Duke team.

Projected stats: 1.8 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.2 APG

Stay tuned to the Blue Zone for our continuing player previews with freshman Joey Baker tomorrow.

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