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

Justin Robinson

• Year: Redshirt junior
• Height: 6-foot-10
• Position: Forward
• This year's stat line: 1.2 PPG, 0.5 RPG, 0.1 APG
• The Blue Zone's projected stat line: 1.8 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.2 APG

Season breakdown: Not much was expected of Robinson in terms of meaningful contribution this season, so there was really never any potential for disappointment. Just like last year, Robinson’s name was typically called upon near the end of big blowout victories—much to the excitement of the Cameron Crazies, who gave a loud roar nearly every time he touched the ball.

But just because the San Antonio native doesn’t get as much playing time as his five-star recruit counterparts doesn’t mean he didn’t garner his share of highlights along the way. Against Stetson Dec. 1, Robinson sunk all five of his field-goal attempts—including three shots from beyond the arc—to score a career-high 12 points. The outburst concluded with an emphatic steal and slam dunk for the son of Hall of Famer David Robinson, the final two points of the Blue Devils’ 113-49 win. 

Robinson wasn’t nearly as successful outside of that early December contest, scoring in only two other games, but he did finish the year a solid 4-of-9 from downtown, good for a three-point percentage of 44.4.

Results relative to expectations: Yes, his stats are down compared to the Blue Zone’s preseason projections, but that mostly resulted from a decrease in usage this season—Robinson averaged only 3.4 minutes per game this year compared to last year’s mark of 4.8 per contest. In fact, the redshirt junior’s 61.5 field-goal percentage actually topped his previous career high by nearly 20 percent, with his three-point percentage jumping nine points as well.

Robinson may never accumulate valuable playing time. But his role in the Blue Devil locker room—especially with new freshmen coming in by the year—is invaluable to the program. And if his efficiency numbers keep improving at the exponential rate that they are, maybe fans will finally be able to cheer him on in a single-digit contest.

Check back later for the rest of the Blue Zone's player reviews.