Jerome Robinson: Observe
First-round selection Jerome Robinson hasn’t had the rookie season that some expected, but to be fair, a lot of those expectations probably shouldn’t have been so high in the first place.
From the get go, we knew Robinson would struggle to break into the rotation (by no fault of his own) and would be one of the last payers off the bench. And unlike fellow rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he wasn’t supposed to be an immediate plug-in to the LA Clippers’ rotation.
That being said, Robinson does still have a ways to go. He hasn’t been great in the minutes he has played this season, and his shooting percentages were underwhelming. But with more development in the G League and in practice with the NBA’s Clippers, he should still develop into a serviceable shooting guard with a chance to be a starter someday soon.
In this year’s playoffs, Robinson probably won’t see any minutes — at least not meaningful ones. He might find his way into a game or two depending on the score, but I would fully expect him to be out of the rotation. Therefore, Robinson just needs to observe and experience the playoffs this time around, because he’ll absolutely be back.
Even if he’s not playing, he’ll learn a lot from being with the team and going through the motions with them, and that’s half the battle.