Hidden beneath a star-studded NBA surface, there's always those diamonds in the rough. Front offices are creative and sneaky with how they can scout those underrated talents and turn them into studs.
A long while back, I looked at how the Celtics got themselves a hidden gem in Neemias Queta—someone the average fan probably wouldn't recognize, yet still an important roster piece.
The hope was that Toronto could find an essence of that in veteran big Bruno Fernando, but alas, his journey in the Six was just not meant to be. However, when one chapter closes, another one opens: enter Orlando Robinson.
After waiving Fernando back in early January, Toronto has gone out and experimented with the use of 10-day contracts. They would first sign Canadian forward and Raptors 905 standout, Eugene Omoruyi, but he didn't really get a chance to prove himself.
Thankfully for ORob, the team's second attempt at a 10-day deal, he's getting a chance to show out. Getting 21 minutes of playing time against Atlanta on January 25, he showed glimpses of promise for Toronto.
Orlando Robinson makes the most out of opportunity vs. Atlanta Hawks
Robinson recorded four points on 2-for-7 field goal shooting, six rebounds, two blocks, and one steal, with a plus/minus of +8. Not out-of-this-world type box score stats, sure, but a strong night for the 24-year-old big who's fighting for a secure spot on an NBA roster.
This season, it has been a recurring issue for Toronto to find any form of quality interior presence outside of just Jakob Poeltl leading that department. Well, in Orlando Robinson, the Raptors might just have themselves a knight in shining armor emerging.
Robinson's minutes in the Atlanta clash showed he can be a defensive disruptor against opposing bigs by guarding the paint against penetrating scorers like Trae Young. He's got a long wingspan to work with and can move around quite well for someone who raised eyebrows in the past as relatively slow-footed.
He isn't the long-term fit at center for Toronto, but as a backup in limited minutes, the Raptors got themselves a possible gem waiting to flourish in ORob. Although the same could've been said about Fernando during his Raptors tenure, but Robinson definitely has room for growth, potential, and upside that his older counterpart did not.
The Raptors' development staff loves working with guys of Orlando Robinson's nature. As mentioned previously, if they could take a chance on guys like Jontay Porter or Freddie Gillespie, for example, why not give ORob a longer shot in Toronto? It's a classic case of buying in on low stock and reaping the benefits if your investment turns out to be a hit.
This is exactly what my call was for Toronto when the news first broke of Robinson's 10-day signing: you don't know what you have unless you play these guys. He got the minutes and didn't disappoint.
Is ORob a done deal? Probably not, as Toronto would likely want to monitor his production on perhaps a second 10-day deal; but if this trend continues, the Raptors could boast a strong rim protector who slipped under the radar of other NBA franchises.
Who wouldn't want a nice, shiny gem that no one expected to be pretty? I know I would, and Toronto should too.