Empty the Bench

Until this point in his four-year career, Nate Robinson had largely distinguished himself for the following:

- Winning the 2006 Slam Dunk Contest, a contest in which deserved-winner Andre Iguodala was essentialy robbed of victory because his opponent measures just 5 feet, 9 inches (“Oh, look at that! He’s so short but he can dunk! And he jumped over Spud Webb!“)

- Being a punk-ass bitch. During his rookie season he clashed early and often with teammates both in the locker room and on the bench, and was nearly sent to the D-League despite his obvious skills being sorely needed on the talent-strapped Knicks.

The next year he was one of the main knuckleheads in the brawl at Madison Square Garden between the Knicks and Nuggets which resulted in all kinds of suspensions; his cheap shot on Carmelo Anthony was the lowlight of the whole affair. We also saw him openly feud with Zach Randolph last season during timeouts, though something tells me both were to blame for the childish petulence.

It hasn’t been all bad for Robinson, however. Hardly. Drafted by the Knicks in the first-round out of Washington back in ’05, he hustles and brings boundless energy to the court, is quicker than most, plays surprisingly solid defense for a man his size (don’t forget he once blocked a shot by 7-6 Yao Ming), and can put big points on the board in a hurry. When he’s hot, he’s usually really hot, and as Knicks fans have come to know this guy is hardly afraid of shooting the ball whether he’s in a groove or not.

And speaking of Knicks fans, in general they love him: we caught about 10 or 11 games last year at MSG, and Nate was consistently the one player most capable of waking up the sluggish fans with his tenacity and big-play ability. So, please understand that I’m hardly painting a picture of Robinson as an entirely ineffective, disruptive teammate. Yes, he’s a punk, but he gives it all he’s got every night.

And he’s elevated his game to a new level this season.

More on little Nate Robinson’s big hurtin’ after the break…

He went through a dismal stretch in late-December and on into January in which he couldn’t throw a rock in the Andaman Ocean, but throw that out and Robinson has to be considered just as much of a revelation this year as the man he’s currently backing up at the point, Chris Duhon. Through 6 games in February, Robinson has posted per-game averages of 20 points, 45% FG, 5.2 assists, 3.8 boards, 1.3 steals, and 1.8 triples. Unfortunately those efforts have all gone to naught since the team is 0-6 (and I realize that maybe says something), but facts are facts: the little man is coming into his own.

Starting in place of the injured Duhon Wednesday night against the Clippers, Robinson finished with an absolutely filthy line that has this fantasy owner howling with satisfaction: 33 points on 46% shooting, 15 assists, 9 boards, 5 steals, 2 triples, and 5-5 FT. In other words, a boxscore that Chris Paul would be exceedingly proud to accomplish.

It’s a shame that the All-Star break has come when it has because Robinson is obviously swelling with confidence at the moment, a department he’s rarely lacking in, to be sure… but when he’s feeling as good as he does know, he’s capable of huge efforts like that on most nights.

And the Knicks are going to need it over the second half if they’re to make a serious push for the playoffs. At 21-31, they’re still only 3.5 games back of the fading Milwaukee Bucks for the 8th seed. Can Little Nate Robinson take them to the promised land, a 4-0 first-round loss to the Cavaliers or Celtics? Probably best not to count him out. He’s still a punk, but he’s a punk having a career year.

Nate Robinson Photo Credit: Icon SMI

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