I love when overlooked NBA talents find their footing in a new home, and that seems to be the case with Toronto Raptors center Orlando Robinson, who signed a two-way contract with the team after two 10-day stints with the franchise.
The 24-year-old big man, whose NBA journey has included stints with the Miami Heat and Sacramento Kings, is proving to be a valuable asset for the Raptors as their reserve center and third-string depth piece behind Jakob Poeltl and small-ball five Jonathan Mogbo.
The Raptors went through an unfortunate eight-game stretch without their starting five man, Poeltl, which allowed Robinson to secure a firm position in the rotation during that time. Robinson is not a center who will stun you with flashy moves around the basket or dazzling box score stats, but he has a more than capable touch down low, surprising passing ability, and defensive awareness to disrupt opposing players.
Robinson has seen an uptick in minutes played due to Poeltl's absence, averaging 18 minutes per game for Toronto. During this span, he's recorded the following numbers: 6.3 points on 50% shooting from the field, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. For a guy whose NBA career seemed uncertain after being waived by his last two franchises, Robinson is proving his doubters wrong by being a quality return on a relatively low-risk gamble for the Toronto Raptors.
Two-way center Orlando Robinson is a valuable asset for the Raptors
Toronto tried a similar experiment by signing veteran center Bruno Fernando to a deal in the offseason, but he never quite found a consistent role with the team and was ultimately waived in January. Thankfully for Robinson, he's receiving ample support from the Raptors front office, giving fans reason to believe he has a fair shot at continuing to justify his case for a more secure deal in the future.
Raptors fans know how much of a consistent issue it has been for the team to find quality center depth, and Robinson is certainly a solid option to help fill that void.
Is Robinson a full-time lock? I wouldn't say so, but for the 9th, 10th, or even the 11th guy, he is a worthwhile investment. He could use some work to find a more consistent stroke from distance—a quality present in his game, but not that efficient.
However, considering what he brings to the table, Robinson is a solid backup option. We'll just need to see if he can continue to make his presence felt in the Raptors' outlook moving forward, and if they can justify using a full-time roster spot next season when the team begins to integrate Brandon Ingram and their potential top draft pick.
But in the interim, Robinson's place in the pecking order seems much more secure than those murky centers of years past.