Glenn Robinson III was picked 40th by the Wolves in the June 26 draft, but he has more name recognition than most first-round picks, including Minnesota’s own first-rounder Zach LaVine.
The youngest Robinson is the son of Glenn Robinson Jr., the first overall pick of the 1994 draft and an elite NBA scorer in his prime. Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders remembers the elder Robinson well.
“Ten years ago I was talking to Kevin Garnett about how to stop Glenn Robinson, and now I’m coaching his kid,” said Saunders at last Friday’s introductory press conference.
Robinson Jr. played 11 NBA seasons – eight of them for the Milwaukee Bucks. He averaged over 20 points per game in eight of his first nine seasons and won an NBA title with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005.
Robinson III fell to the second round and will be aiming to earn a spot in Saunders’ rotation.
The contrast between father and son is obvious, but they do have some similarities. Both Robinsons have virtually the same build with Dad at 6-foot-7, 225 pounds and Son at 6-foot-6, 220. Both also played two years for Big Ten schools. Robinson Jr. had a stellar career for Purdue, scoring over 1,000 points in his final season and taking the Boilermakers to the Elite Eight, while Robinson III came one win from a national championship on his 2013 Michigan team. Both were also drafted by smaller market franchises in the Upper Midwest: the father in Milwaukee and his oldest son in Minnesota.
If Wolves fans could have a 21-year-old Glenn Robinson Jr., they would take him in a heartbeat, and the temptation for Glenn III will always be to duplicate the career of the man who took the Eastern Conference by storm in the mid-1990s. But the Wolves’ second-round pick insists he is not playing basketball to follow in his dad’s intimidating footsteps.
“One thing my dad always told me is he didn’t want me to play basketball for him; do it because I wanted to,” said Robinson III. “That’s something that’s really helped me. He didn’t put any pressure on me at all. I’m playing the game for myself.”
One piece of evidence that supports this claim is Robinson III’s decision to return to school when he could have made first-round money in a weak 2013 draft. Prior to his sophomore season, certain mock drafts had Robinson III listed as a top-10 pick.
The Wolverines – and, by extension, Robinson III – had slow starts to their 2013-14 season. Robinson III suffered from the absence of facilitating point guard Trey Burke but also displayed a lack assertiveness that frustrated scouts. Robinson improved his scoring average from 11 ppg to 13.1 ppg in his second year but dipped significantly in shooting percentage, down to 49 percent from 57 percent.
The extra year, however, helped Robinson grow as a player in different ways. He had to be a stabilizing force on a team that lost Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the NBA and preseason All-American Mitch McGary to a back injury. Robinson also gained some family bragging rights with this clutch buzzer beater over his father’s alma mater.
“It really created leadership for me,” Robinson III said of his sophomore year. “Learning from Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., I learned a lot about leadership: how to really help my team out in different ways on the defensive end and communicating. It’s all in the details that I really have to emphasize and stay focused on to be successful at this level.”
The rookie does not appear to be wallowing in Geno Smith-like fashion after his slip to the second round either.
“I was hearing all kinds of talk; the main talk was mainly 15 to 30 range, but I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason,” said Robinson.
It’s clear that the Wolves drafted a player they are excited about in “GR3.” Minnesota sold their other two second-round picks for cash, meaning they must have been satisfied with their initial second-round selection.
“I watched a couple of practices this fall, and he was projected to be a lottery-type pick,” said Saunders of Robinson, who the Wolves consider a steal at 40th overall.
“This dude might be able to jump a lot higher than me,” said the 13th overall pick Zach LaVine. “He’s a great player. He’s a hard worker.”
Robinson III appears to be a young man with a good head on his shoulders, a clear perspective of who he is as a player and a favorable pedigree. All intangible things.
Another intangible that the Wolves hope translates to the court is Robinson III’s athleticism. The Michigan grad was actually disappointed with his 41.5 inch vertical at the combine, and the long-legged Robinson ran a swift 3.15 in the three-quarter court sprint. General manager Milt Newton believes the NBA game is geared toward Robinson’s skillset.
“He’s a player that is very athletic, can really shoot the ball, and we think that he will be a better pro given the up-and-down game,” said Newton, referring to the NBA’s fast-paced transition basketball.
Robinson also seems well-equipped to handle the fast-paced transition of college life to pro ball, using his father as a counselor.
“[He told me] it’s a different lifestyle. It’s different getting used to,” said Robinson III. “Ultimately, hard work is what it’s going to come down to. It’s all about basketball. We don’t have classes to go to… It’s your choice to do what you want to do in your free time.”
But there is one caveat.
“Just enjoy every single moment that you go through,” the elder Robinson told his son.
| Sam Ekstrom is a staff writer for Cold Omaha at 105 The Ticket. He has previously served as a play-by-play broadcaster in Iowa and South Dakota and has covered Minnesota sports since 2012. Follow him on Twitter @SamEkstrom for further insights |