Heat’s Duncan Robinson ready for awkwardness of playing in empty arena

For Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson, the experience will be sort of a flashback.

Robinson knows all about playing in empty gyms from his college days at Division III Williams College and in the G League last season.

So when the NBA season restarts later this month in Orlando in front of no fans, he will feel right at home.

“Maybe myself out of anybody has experience playing in empty gyms, either in the G League or my first year at Williams,” Robinson said. “We had games with like 300 people. So if anyone, I should be equipped for this.”

Robinson began his NBA career as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He latched with the Heat after impressing during the Summer League in Las Vegas. Robinson spent his rookie season between Miami and the organization’s minor league affiliate in Sioux Falls while playing on a two-way contract.

After earning a guaranteed deal, he has since developed into one of the league’s top 3-point shooters. He has already broken the Heat’s single-season record for makes and was a participant in the 3-point contest during All-Star Weekend in February.

The only question now is how well he adjusts to playing in the postseason for the first time.

“I’ve seen and heard the game slows down a lot, especially in a series,” Robinson said. “By games 3 and 4, you really have an understanding of who you are dealing with. It comes down to execution. That bodes well for us.”