awy wrote:apparently he trained with the actual AD too, not just AD’s trainer.
“Athletically, he’s a freak,” Fizdale said. “He’s in the one percentile of high flyers and runners. It’s just not many guys that’s that athletic.”
“I think the year of school — missing Western Kentucky — hurt him individually in terms of what people think but he’s gotten better,” Marcell Scott, his trainer, said.
“He was always a whole bunch of potential but he just didn’t know how to put it together. I knew he was going to be special but the little things were holding him back.”
Scott gave Robinson the same workouts the trainer used with Anthony Davis, another client, training the near 7-footer like a guard, and then had the two work together. To approximate the length Robinson would face in the NBA, Davis guarded him, blocking his shots and making him use pump fakes and dribble pull-ups.
Scott had Robinson work on his release point and his 3-point shooting. Thinking he would get pushed out to the mid-range because of his skinny physique, Scott had him work on his 15-foot jump shots and a jump hook. He believes Robinson had fallen in love with the perimeter but thinks he can legitimately shoot from that far out, though rim protection and finishing running the floor and finishing are his best traits.
Kerry Kittles, Scott’s longtime friend, come in to help run a workout too. Kittles came away impressed by Robinson’s willingness to take advice and his shooting mechanics. The former Nets guard, a 38 percent 3-point shooter during his career, believes Robinson has a clean stroke that will only need some mild tuning.
“He can shoot,” Kittles said. “That kid can shoot. Is he a driller right now? No. He hasn’t played ball in forever. I’m sure if he can get the reps in… I think folks will be surprised.”
Scott and Stockton both believe Robinson can one day play on the perimeter, lauding his quickness and his surprising fluidity. But it will not come without work. Robinson has a tendency to be hard on himself, Scott says, and harp on mistakes. Selective amnesia, he says, would be a boon.
“Mitch needs an opportunity to where he’s clearing the head, free-minded and enjoying himself and understanding that he doesn’t need to put so much pressure on himself,” Scott said. “If it’s going to happen it’s going to happen.”
“I want to encourage him to be great at what he’s good at right now,” Fizdale said. “Can we just get him a game? His game right now is running and jumping. So anything that has to do with that, how good can I make him at that first? Yeah, we’re going to be working on jump hooks, post-up game, we’re going to always build that kind of incrementally.
“But how can we get him a confidence that ‘I can go play in the NBA game right now’ because I can hang my hat on this. Right now it’s his athleticism. Getting him to run the floor every time. Getting him to screen at the right angle and to get to the rim with speed every single time. Getting him to be in a stance on every pick-and-roll. Being able to switch on that pick-and-roll and protect the rim. Those little areas, can we make him great at that.”
And Fizdale adds: “He is a fun project. I’ll tell you that.”