Philadelphia 76ers: Are Glenn Robinson III's Latest Frustrations Warranted?

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- This year, the Philadelphia 76ers have earned the right to be called one of the NBA's most disappointing teams. That's not to say the Sixers are down for the count or anything. Still, when a head coach claims he's aiming to compete for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, fifth place with a significant losing record on the road isn't exactly something that will satisfy those who are paying attention.

When the Sixers are playing at home, where they are a league's best 28-2, all seems well within the locker room. When the show goes on the road, however, things change. Players grow frustrated, and you can see it on their faces during the postgame. Some even go as far as subliminally calling out the heart, intensity, and effort of the team.

At this point in the year, the Sixers have been one of the most drama-filled teams in the NBA, and they have shown no signs of stopping as they are two-thirds of the way through the season. And just as we get past the overblown Ben Simmons versus Joel Embiid saga, one of the new guys took over the spotlight by making comments that seemed to have gotten under the head coach's skin a bit.

A few weeks back, the Sixers sent multiple second-round picks to Golden State in exchange for shooting guard Alec Burks, and small forward, Glenn Robinson III. While the Sixers have slowly eased their new guys into a role, Robinson recently claimed that his job on the team was never actually clarified by the head coach, Brett Brown.

During an interview with Basketball Insiders' Spencer Davies, Robinson flat-out admitted that he isn't sure what his job is with the Sixers. "When you come here, your role's not really explained," Robinson claimed when talking about his transition from playing on the Warriors to the Sixers. "It's not like it was a trade where you come in and immediately have an impact. . . I don't really understand it."

To no surprise, Robinson's quotes caused an uproar. Considering one of the most controversial narratives surrounding the Sixers has something to do with a coach who is assumed to have lost the locker room, the new Sixers' claim added fuel to the fire that's already been burning for quite some time now. Typically, Brett Brown would dust off such a comment and keep everything in-house, but he was willing to put out the flames on Thursday.

Brett Brown Clears the Air...

"That is not true," Brown said in regards to Robinson's claim. "After the All-Star break, every single one of [our players] got a roadmap [stating] this is your role, and this is what we expect." Brown then put himself in the shoes of Robinson, seeing everything from the player's viewpoint to get a better understanding. He's a 26-year-old veteran who's having the best season of his career and is in line for his biggest payday yet. As a coach, Brown gets what's at stake for Robinson from a personal standpoint.

But at the same time, it's a team game. Before, Brown explained he wanted to ease the new guys into their role, so he doesn't overcomplicate things for them. Hence the reason why Robinson went from averaging over 30 minutes-per-night in Golden State to only seeing around 15 minutes on a nightly basis with the Sixers so far.

Plus, earning minutes on a contending team such as the 76ers is performance-based. As Robinson said in his Basketball Insiders interview, "this team is full of wings, full of guys who can play." Therefore, it should come without saying that the better you play, the more minutes you will earn. And Brett Brown made that clear to him on Thursday as well. "I think he has an important role to play here, and we hope to see more of it," the coach said. "But as I said to him and I'll say it again, this is a show-me league."

Has Glenn Robinson III Proven Himself Yet?

At the trade deadline, the Sixers were searching for perimeter shooters. Robinson, who was draining 40-percent of his threes while averaging 12 points-per-game, was expected to come and help in that department since that's where Philly struggled. In seven games now with the Sixers, Robinson has averaged just five points-per-game and has yet to drain a three-point shot after attempting nine of them so far.

And after picking up his third start with the shorthanded Sixers on Thursday, following his statements in which he believes were "blown out of proportion," Robinson still struggled to make an impact for the team. As Brown offered the forward 21 minutes (his highest since joining) on Thursday, Robinson shot just two-for-six from the field, totaling for four points. Once again, he failed to knock down a single long-range shot too.

While the veteran forward did say he hopes to "figure out his [offensive role] with time," he didn't exactly prove he's deserving of more opportunities on Thursday night. It's clear that Robinson is understandably motivated to play for much more than a championship this season,  but his current priorities seem to be more self-serving than anything. There's hope that his brief discussion with Brett Brown on Thursday helps the forward shift his focus because, in the long-run, minor contributions on a winning team could end up paying off more than inflated statistics on an underperforming squad.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_