The young star who was just a stranger for NBA fans months ago…. After finishing his college in Michigan in 2018, Duncan Robinson was seen by the NBA scouts as a player with no potential to play professionally in the league, even with his 6’8” and with a good long-range shot.

Less than two years after sign a two-year standard NBA contract with the Miami Heat, Robinson is already one of the best shooters of the season. He started in 24 of Heat’s 29 games so far and is among the top 3 point shooters in the three-point lineup. His ability for space the floor plays an essential role for the Miami team having more room for infiltrations, and standing this moment among the eight best offensive teams.

But how the Heat discover this talent that is now 25 years old and impressing with absurd stats? A special article of Miami Herald feature details of this finding.

Robinson’s fate changed when the player attended Heat’s pre-draft workout in Los Angeles and left impressed Heat Vice President of Player Personnel Chet Kammerer. Chet was so impressed that he immediately called Miami coach Erik Spoelstra:

“Chet was in LA traffic and he called me and said, ‘I really am interested in this Duncan Robinson. Can you do some research on him? We should invite him in. I just saw him perform one of the best shooting exhibitions I’ve ever seen,’” Spoelstra recalls from that conversation.

“I almost dropped the phone. Because if Chet Kammerer says it, it’s going to make you pay attention. I asked him, ‘Chet, are you sure that’s what you’re saying because you’ve seen 50 years of shooters and been in a ton of gyms and I’ve never gotten a phone call like this from you?’ He said, ‘Yes. I don’t know if he’s good enough. I don’t know if he will develop. But as far as shooting, that part is really unique and he has got a great ethic. He’s also 6-8.’”

His performance on this pre-draft led the Heat to offer him a spot in the Summer League roster. Robinson was not selected by any team in the NBA 2018 Draft:

“That workout and that story has kind of taken on a life of its own,” Robinson said with a smile. “Chet came in and it was the first time I worked out in front of an NBA team. At that point in my career, I was the furthest thing from a surefire NBA player.

“I remember one little segment, I think I hit like maybe 25 or 30 threes in a row. Maybe missed one and then hit another 20 in a row. Chet, to this day, reminds me all the time that I didn’t miss two in a row the whole workout.”

After spending his rookie year playing for Heat’s affiliate team in the “G league”, Robinson is now a major weapon for Coach Spoelstra’s system. The player is among the 23 players with an average of 7 or more three-point attempts per game and owns the third-best average in three-point shooting efficiency with 45%, second only to JJ Redick (New Orleans Pelicans) and Bojan Bogdanovic ( Utah Jazz).

Earlier this season Duncan Robinson was the protagonist of a curious moment when the Cavs assistant coach had to type in google the name of the “unknown kid” who was simply destroying the Cleveland team on court…