NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS VS. HEAT

September 16, 2020

Duncan Robinson

Miami Heat

Practice Day

Q. Duncan, was life a lot easier when you weren't famous and they weren't chasing you all over the place on the three-point line? Could you sense a tangible difference since you've become, "A thing?”

DUNCAN ROBINSON: First and foremost, definitely, definitely not famous.

Second, obviously in the playoffs, you know, there's going to be additional attention, game-plan games, adjustments, all that sort of stuff. Truthfully, I feel like I'm getting good shots. I feel like I'm taking good shots. Sometimes you do all the right things and the ball doesn't go in. It requires adjustments out of myself to be aggressive and also to make some. I'm just excited for the challenge, to continue to have the opportunity, and in adversity, there's growing pains. I'm just trying to embrace it and learn from it and grow from it.

Q. What was it like, you come back in, 30 seconds after checking in, and 14 seconds after making a three-pointer, boom, that third foul and you're back out. How frustrating was that? I assume there's no way to get a rhythm like that.

DUNCAN ROBINSON: Yeah, that's certainly something I take responsibility for. Just to have a little bit more maturity to not -- just be smarter in those instances and obviously you know, it's frustrating to just have your flow disrupted like that but at the same time, everything is not going to be perfect. Just have to adjust and learn from it. That's the key for me is to learn from it.

Q. Obviously it's great that your team can comeback when you're down and ultimately get a win, but consistency-wise after going through the film, what you do you need to do more?

DUNCAN ROBINSON: Just a little more attention to detail in stretches. We had a couple stretches where we just kind of lost our way. Mental stability is huge this time of year, particularly in the playoffs. Just not having mental lapses and just long stretches where we are playing who we are and playing to our strengths.

Like you said, it's great to learn in those moments, and the great teams are able to learn and make adjustments whether they win or lose. We are just going to try to continue to improve and learn from it.

Q. How much confidence does it give you -- not shooting enough?

DUNCAN ROBINSON: You know, it's every player's dream, so I'm thankful that I have everybody in my corner and I'm just going to continue to go out there and try to do my job to the best of my abilities.

Q. What have you learned about what it takes to sustain momentum for you and against you all? Obviously you've dealt with a great deal of it over these 10 games and it's come out on the right side for you.

DUNCAN ROBINSON: Just trust, sticking together. Those are two really important things for us, understanding that in those moments of adversity, when the game is going your way but especially when the game is not going your way, shots aren't going in or you're making mistakes, we've got to band together and rely on each other and I feel like we've done that in pivotal stretches and that's been the difference between winning and losing a lot of games.

Q. I know obviously the regular season and the playoffs are a lot different, but how would you describe in your first postseason the difference between how teams are playing you compared to a regular Wednesday night, regular-season game?

DUNCAN ROBINSON: Obviously a lot more goes into preparation and game planning. Teams are going to try to scheme to take certain things away that we like to do as a team and then also obviously individual tendency-wise, as well.

It requires us as a team to adjust but also the individual to adjust, as well, and figure out ways to still free yourself and be effective.

Q. Spo talked to us about Quinney [Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn] getting on you about the third foul and some discipline. How much has Quinn meant to your development as a pro?

DUNCAN ROBINSON: Chris Quinn?

Q. Yes.

DUNCAN ROBINSON: He's been huge. He's always, always in my ear, which I'm incredibly appreciative of and he's always seeing something offensively, defensively, really since day one. He's really been in my corner and I've felt that and I am incredibly appreciative. Sometimes it feels relentless but it's just coming from a place of wanting me to play to the best of my abilities, which I'm appreciative of.

This whole organization, everybody has just been in my corner, as you can hear Solo [Solomon Hill] screaming from down the hall, telling me to shoot it. I'm just appreciative of the opportunity and just trying to make the most of it.

Q. Do the guys ever ask you to shoot the ball?

DUNCAN ROBINSON: Every now and then.

Q. I know you're still a very young man, but the play Bam made in that moment, given what's at stake at that point in a game, is there anything you've seen that would compare to that moment?

DUNCAN ROBINSON: Just like from play-type wise, the one that jumps to mind is the tag -- or split of LeBron. But just a stage in the point in the game, there's no comparison in that regard.

That's an incredible play. You almost have to like -- I had to watch it again and again to almost like just capture how special of a play it was. But you know, he's done that all year in different ways. Maybe not to that grandiose scale of as time is basically expiring, saving a possession like that. But he's done it for us game-in, game-out, every night, and one thing you can count on Bam is he's going to show up. He plays every single game, 38 minutes every single game and just brings it every single game.

It certainly doesn't surprise us when he does stuff like that because almost as crazy as it sounds, it's what you come to expect. But still when you watch that play again, it's just like freakish. It's incredible.

Q. Coach was talking about the importance of persistence. How important is that as Boston gets more adjusted to your offense?

DUNCAN ROBINSON: As we learned from the other series, teams are going to adjust and find ways to take things away. Game 1 is such a small sample size and I'm sure they are a really well-coached team and disciplined team and they will come back with adjustments. For us it's really going to be about executing the detail and not letting them just flatten us out. Whatever it is, catch-and-shoot, ball screen action, drives, all that sort of stuff.

For us, it really just comes down to execution and really being locked in.

Q. When do you think you earned Coach Spoelstra's trust and what is he doing for you for your growth?

DUNCAN ROBINSON: It's been huge. I alluded to it earlier, but really since I've been in the organization, he's been on me about being aggressive and encouraging me to shoot the ball and play to my strengths.

It's been an unwavering confidence that's existed, really, since I've been here. Now I guess it's getting a little bit more notoriety just because of the stage but he's been incredibly consistent and I'm appreciative of that. It's allowed me to play freely and without that clutter in your mind, and just do my job.

Q. Celtics will try to respond after Game 1. How is the preparation, your mental preparation about Game 2 in the locker room? And what are you expecting to see from Kemba Walker?

DUNCAN ROBINSON: I'll start with your second question. Obviously he's a really dynamic player. We just try to make it as tough on him as possible. Throw different things. Always kind of keep him guessing. There's going to be more of that moving forward, just kind of throw different stuff at him. He'll make adjustments and it will be on us to make adjustments as well.

To your first question, game to game adjustments are huge. A lot of it is chess pieces in how you move them around and you learn a lot from Game 1 but really the steps moving forward, Games 2, 3, 4, will be where a lot of those adjustments really take place. Just continue to try to play to your strengths and take away what they are trying to do, and make adjustments to their adjustments, as well.