After the Detroit Pistons narrowly escaped with a two-point road win over the Denver Nuggets last night, now is as prudent of a time as any to discuss the merits for leaving Duncan Robinson in a one-possession game that may hinge on his defensive ability. 

All year long, Robinson has provided the perimeter shooting that the Pistons desperately needed after losing Malik Beasley over the offseason, and the veteran marksman has implemented himself seamlessly as an elite motion shooter for Detroit with a 40.5% rate from long-range. Robinson is one of the few players on the Pistons with the perimeter gravity to force defenders to properly close out, and he fills a much-needed role for Detroit.

But against the Nuggets on Tuesday night, Robinson was a significant liability in a game that could have unfolded in favor of either squad. With less than two minutes remaining, the Pistons ran into a trap where they’d miss a shot on offense, the Nuggets would set up a play in the half-court to isolate Robinson one-on-one, then Jamal Murray would drive to the paint for an open look or some free throws. This pattern occurred repeatedly down the stretch in the Mile High City, but the Pistons needed a little help to exit the contest with a victory.

With 3.5 seconds remaining, Detroit held a three-point edge, but Murray was at the charity stripe for three shots. Murray bricked his first shot before making his remaining two attempts. Pistons forward Tobias Harris sank two free throws on the other end, but Murray found himself back at the foul line for three attempts. 

Though redemption was attainable, Murray missed another free throw to hand-wrap a single-digit victory for Detroit, which pushed the team to 34-11 on the year. 

After the game, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was asked what he thought about the two foul calls at the end of the game which sent Murray to the free throw line to potentially force overtime in each circumstance. Showing a bit of his sly, humorous side, Bickerstaff offered a brief, sharp response.

"You don't know me, do you?" 

Throughout the season, the Pistons have climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference primarily through defensive toughness and a focus on scoring in the paint. Robinson stands as a stark outlier compared to that blueprint, but Bickerstaff has juggled the rotation well enough so that he could shield the veteran’s defensive lapses. 

But during the postseason, repeated mismatches like Murry-on-Robinson isolation sets are the type of battles that could sink a playoff series for the Pistons. Unfortunately, Bickerstaff did not have many options since both Ron Holland and Ausar Thompson were already deep in foul trouble at that point. 

Against the Nuggets last night, Robinson had one of his coldest shooting nights all season, hitting 1-of-9 shots and failing to connect on any of his eight attempts from three-point range. With Robinson unable to produce from the perimeter all game long, his inclusion in the final two minutes of the game, particularly since he was isolated on defense after Denver screen actions, could have easily backfired on the Pistons if Murray would have hit just one more free throw. 

In the end, the Pistons managed to weather the late-game storm and advanced with a narrow 109-107 victory, but Robinson’s one-dimensional game briefly brought a concerning element of Detroit basketball to the forefront. 

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