Duncan Robinson is no NBA superstar. But his gifts — from his connectivity as a playmaker to his glittering basketball IQ — have made him a useful player to the Pistons in recent years.
Robinson's calling card through seven years in the league is his shooting. He's less a man than a trebuchet beyond the arc, known to rise above late closeouts to inflict damage upon opposition defenses.
He has done that in droves in 2026-27, producing career-best figures for 6-3 Detroit. In the Pistons' loss to the 121-116 loss to the Lakers on Sunday, Robinson's penchant for triples — and the attention it received on Los Angeles' scouting report — became immediately evident to those watching on.
Here's what you need to know.
Lakers bench's reaction to Duncan Robinson says everything about Pistons sharpshooter's signature skill
Robinson found a bit of daylight towards the end of Sunday's game, shedding Walker Kessler before fielding a pass from Kevin Huerter and firing from beyond the arc.
Predictably, the triple nestled calmly into the net. Robinson was largely ineffective from distance on Sunday, only finding his mark on three of 11 attempts. Nevertheless, Los Angeles bench's animated reaction to the miscue — spearheaded by a leaping Jake LaRavia, a frustrated Jarred Vanderbilt and the typically-stoic Sandro Mamukelashvili sinking into his seat after the ball whistled through the hoop — indicated that JJ Redick's side was, indeed, worried about Robinson's shooting prowess.
It's easy to see why. Robinson is averaging a career-best 18.2 points per game this season, starring in an increased role in J.B. Bickerstaff's setup. He ranks fifth in the league in three-pointers made (38) and is shooting a career-high from deep 45.2 percent.
Los Angeles' response might have seemed a bit exaggerated given Robinson's relative standing around the league. But make no mistakes about it; Robinson deserves the attention. His shooting gifts glisten under the spotlight. LaRavia, Vanderbilt and Mamukelashvili understood as much.
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