Pitt Panther Recruit: Nasir Robinson Part 1

In talking about Nasir Robinson and his long-termpotential, I think it is right to start with the questions that have to be answered. I have four questions: (1) How good of a shooter can he become? (2) Is he willing to commit to being in better shape? (3) Does he have enough quickness? (4) Where is he going to be able to guard, long term?

These questions can be separated into 2 groups:Question 1 and Questions 2,3,4. The final three are all related in some fashion.

On the first group, consisting of Question 1: He has great touch, but awful form. He has a bad hitch in his shot which causes for him to lose rotation . . . I think it also causes him to shoot inconsistently as well (explaining the FT problems).

Usually, your awful shooters either: don’t have touchor they have really odd rotation or awful form or they don’t use their entire body in their shot. Most bads hooters actually have a combination of these things. Robinson has good touch and he gets his body into the shot most of the time. But, his form is bad in terms of his release, which in turn causes him to have rotation problems at times.

I don’t think he is a guy that has limited potential as a shooter other wing types like Sam Young or Jaron Brown . . . Robinson has the touch those guys lack and he gets his body into the shot better than either(even though Young is not bad at that). Robinson is highly coordinated, so if he just gets the form correct, he should always shoot on target.

I think he can eventually become a good shooter, but it will take a lot of work. But, if he does, it will really open up the rest of his game and turn him intoa very, very good college player at the least. If Robinson had a jump shot, he would be much more highly regarded and he is already highly regarded.

On the second group, consistent of the last 3questions: He is in good enough shape to play and play well. I think I come off sounding in a way I don’t want when I say he needs to get in better shape. Robinson has elevation and power 90% of college ballplayers don’t have already, even without being in optimal shape. I just feel that he could be in bettershape physically.

He is not soft at all, but I just think he can get alot better . . . think Carl Krauser in his Jr. year and then Krauser in his Sr. year . . . Krauser could play ball all day during his Jr. year, but his Sr. year he made the proper commitment and lifted his body to whole other level . . . Robinson is similar . . .and could do the same in terms of improvement in my view . . . but remember, Robinson is a much better athlete than Krauser.

This actually leads directly into quickness . . .Krauser got in better shape, became much quicker and it helped him in basketball and specifically, in college. But, even after getting in better shape,when he played against the best players, the future NBA guys, he was quick enough to get by (to compete)athletically when added to his skills, but he wasn’t quick enough to excel on a consistent basis. Competing and excelling are two different things . . .you want a guy to excel, meaning play very well consistently, but as he can compete, then everything is okay at the least.

Robinson has the skill set that if he doesn’t get in better shape, he can still compete with top players. He can really handle and he knows how to use his bodyto his advantage. He is going to be able toconsistently get to the hoop against most college kids, just like Krauser could before and after getting in better shape. But, if he doesn’t make the effortto improve more physically, I feel that he won’t beable to excel against the best guys, the true NBA guys. And even if he gets in better shape, I don’tknow what will occur in terms of quickness for him,because it is a hard thing to project. It is a wait and see.