Former Michigan Wolverine Duncan Robinson’s Miami Heat squad has been in the news recently thanks to the ongoing Jimmy Butler situation. On the court, however, Robinson is starting to get hot:
The story of the Michigan contingent in the NBA this week is quite the unusual one. Rob Pelinka — who was on Michigan’s 1989 national championship-winning team — stole the show by completing one of the craziest trades of all time. Meanwhile, on the court, Franz Wagner, Duncan Robinson and Moussa Diabate stood out among the rest.
Let’s dive into what happened this week in the NBA.
Duncan Robinson heats up
Robinson had a bit of a rough start to the season, but has really found his footing as of late. Since Jan. 19, he has scored in double figures in every game except one (coincidentally the most recent game on Saturday in San Antonio). Saturday’s win notwithstanding, he has made three or more three-pointers in each contest as well.
On the season, Robinson has dragged his scoring up to 11.2 points and 2.7 assists per game. Those marks are a bit down from last season, but his minutes have dropped a bit as well from 28 per game to 24.5. He remains fifth on the Heat in scoring and continues to provide a one-two punch with Tyler Herro on the perimeter.
Rob Pelinka trades for Luka Doncic
For those unfamiliar, Pelinka is the Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers. He also played basketball for the Michigan Wolverines from 1988-93. Never a star on the court, Pelinka was primarily a rotational player for the Wolverines and, more specifically, the Fab Five. He started occasionally due to injuries and was the sixth man by his senior season.
The reason Pelinka made headlines this week was because of the absolute heist he pulled off against the Dallas Mavericks. Pelinka traded Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first round pick to the Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. The Utah Jazz were also involved to make the money work.
This was arguably the most shocking trade in NBA history. The Lakers are surely on the winning end of it, and this could end up being the hallmark of Pelinka’s executive career if it pans out as expected.
Moussa Diabate continues to surge
We mentioned last week how Mark Williams’ foot injury paved the way for some extended minutes for Moussa Diabate. Unfortunately for Williams, but fortunately for Diabate, that injury has lingered. Diabate scored 11+ points in three of Charlotte’s four games this week, and he even tallied his third double-double of the season Friday against the Clippers with 11 points, 14 rebounds and three steals.
The Hornets have struggled lately with five straight losses and seven losses in their last eight games. However, Diabate has been somewhat of a bright spot, leading the team in blocks among qualified players.