NBA Awards Rankings: New No. 1 in Sixth Man of the Year race

Duncan Robinson spent much of last season in a cold spell before erupting in the playoffs. Well, that momentum has carried over into 2023-24. The Michigan product is back, averaging 14.6 points and 3.1 assists on .474/.434/.865 splits in 29.2 minutes. So long as the Miami Heat keep him in his current bench role, Robinson should continue to surge in these rankings as the season progresses.

The Heat have always derived value from Robinson's shooting versatility and off-ball prowess. He doesn't need a ton of touches to put up points and impact winning. Robinson is one of the best movement shooters in the NBA. His ability to sprint off screens and square up to the rim on a dime is special. The Heat run a ton of DHO actions with Bam Adebayo, Kevin Love, and others, allowing Robinson's gravity to tug at the seams in the defense.

That said, it isn't all shooting for Robinson. It's easy to compare him to somebody like J.J. Redick, but Robinson has a bit of juice attacking off the dribble, too. He consistently beats closeouts and makes sharp passing reads in the flow of the offense. He's averaging the most assists of his career on his highest usage rate (18.9 percent) yet. It's overboard to call Robinson a playmaker, but he's a legitimate connector who can finish with finesse around the rim and operate in multiple stages of the offense.

The Heat are currently fourth in the East at 20-14. Robinson has been a key piece of the puzzle after last season's mysterious decline. In today's NBA, there are few more valuable weapons on offense than an elite volume shooter — 7.1 attempts per game from 3-point range — who can also put the ball on the floor and make sound choices.