Jerome Robinson: What should the LA Clippers do?

With second-year player Jerome Robinson struggling, what should the LA Clippers do with his minutes as the season progresses?

When he was selected 13th overall two years ago, LA Clippers fans were hesitant about Jerome Robinson. Obviously we had every reason to trust Lawrence Frank, Jerry West and the rest of the front office, but it seemed like a reach to fans nonetheless. He showed flashes in his first year, leading Clipper Nation to be hopeful he would be a real contributor in his second season, especially with the departure of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That hasn’t been the case.

In 19 appearances this season, Rome is averaging just 3.8 points in 12.8 minutes of gameplay. He is shooting just 32.9% from the field on 4.5 attempts. Even worse, he’s only hitting on 28.2% of his 2.1 attempts from deep. For someone who was touted as a shooter coming out of college, that’s obviously not great.

But what is the problem with Robinson? Remember, this is the same player who was voted by his peers as the second most likely to have the best NBA career. Ultimately, I think it comes down to confidence. Using the good ole eye test, Robinson looks like he’s always in the right spot. Most of his shots come when he’s wide open, a product of often playing alongside Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell with the second unit.

The stats back it up. According to NBA.com, every one of Jerome’s made jump shots have been assisted. He is just 10 of 36 on three point jump shots this season. With wide-open looks missing so frequently, it makes sense that Robinson is shaken. Couple that with low minutes to start the season (some taken by rookie Terance Mann) and it’s not hard to see how he could be having mental struggles.

So what should Doc Rivers and the Clippers do?

In all honesty, the answer is to just wait. Sure, they can try and see what Derrick Walton Jr. can offer after his performance in D.C. last night, but that is still only temporary. Landry Shamet is slated to return any day now during this road trip. Rodney McGruder is also traveling with the team and should be back soon.

Once both of those players are back, Rome (and Mann and Walton Jr., for that matter) will be bumped down in the rotation. With both George and Shamet missing time this season, we have yet to see the guard rotation at full health. We are uncertain about how Doc will play these guys, whether it’s starting Shamet and moving Harkless to the bench or the inverse, but either way, Rome will see his minutes drop.

While this doesn’t help him individually, it will help the team. What they do with him in the long term is the bigger question. Does Rome get more time down in the G-League to build up his confidence? Does the team include him in trade packages once it gets closer to the deadline?

The second option seems possible, especially if the Clippers determine they are only “one move away”. Andre Iguoadala is still the popular name, with Rome, Maurice Harkless and a pick being the most talked about package. If that isn’t the move they make, perhaps Rome could be packaged with a pick for a backup point guard or a big man to help shore up the team’s depth.

I personally don’t think he gets moved. He’s only in his second year and the team already picked up the option for his third season. Rome still has time to grow and perhaps his work with the veterans on the team will pay off in the long run. Once he has been pushed back on the depth chart, fans won’t be so adamant that he be moved from the team. Robinson may need more time to develop and we all need to be patient. The front office picked him for a reason, so let’s trust in them for just a little longer.