I keep seeing posts about how Nate isn't a jerk, about how his problems are only with D'Antoni, etc. Not true. Here's some reading for you:
Nate Robinson is, in his humble opinion, "Nate the Great."
And then there was the embarrassing moment three weeks ago when he tried to bounce the ball off the floor and dunk it against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a play that was ruled a travel and made the Knicks look like an undisciplined group of street-ballers.
Robinson's explanation was as peculiar as his decision to attempt the dunk in the first place.
"That's why they call me Spontaneous Nate," he said.
Spontaneous, yes. Great? Not quite. And now Robinson has a new nickname: Instigator. His role in Saturday's Knicks-Nuggets fight cannot be underestimated. Instead of pulling Mardy Collins away from J.R. Smith and allowing the referees to intervene, Robinson went after Smith and ended up fighting with the Denver guard and spilling into the front row.
Robinson and Carmelo Anthony figure to receive lengthy suspensions because both were responsible for escalating the situation.
After the game, Robinson said he did not regret his actions and made the stunning revelation that Collins' flagrant takedown was not only "a good, clean hard foul" but that it was premeditated.
"For what they did as in keeping guys in, I knew a foul was going to come," Robinson said Saturday. "A hard one because we're not going to let guys keep dunking when they're up 20 and they have their starters in. It was a good clean hard foul. After that, it went downhill from there."
Robinson later added: "They wanted to embarrass us. It was a slap in the face to us as a team and a franchise and we weren't going to let that happen."
Clearly, Robinson forgot what he did against Cleveland or what he said after the game upon hearing that Isiah Thomas told the media that Robinson would not try that dunk again. Robinson agreed but quickly added he would try it only if the Knicks are "ahead by 20."
Since Robinson joined the Knicks last season as a throw-in in the Kurt Thomas-Quentin Richardson trade, he has become a fan favorite because of his incredible athletic ability. Many of the Knicks' marketing campaigns involve Robinson. Last week, the Knicks handed out life-sized posters of the diminutive second-year player. Robinson's popularity soared last year when the 5-9 guard won the slam dunk contest during All-Star Weekend in Houston and peaked again at the Garden this season when he blocked a shot from Yao Ming.
But to teammates and coaches he also can be the annoying little brother who talks too much and can't control his emotions. Larry Brown tried to get Robinson sent to the Developmental League last season, only to be rebuffed by management.
Before the Knicks' home opener last month, MSG Network recorded Robinson outside the locker room posing and dancing for the cameras. Teammates tried to stop him but Robinson continued dancing. Robinson also has earned a reputation as a bench jockey who trash-talks to players on the floor. He also has been criticized by teammates for, ironically enough, showboating.
Last year, Robinson was involved in two fights with teammates. He went after Jerome James with a broom during a practice and then had to be separated from fighting Malik Rose in the shower. The shower fight prompted a veteran teammate to give Robinson another nickname.
"That's just Nate," the Knick said. "He's a jerk."
Link.
Robinson also has a well-earned reputation as a ball hog, as Peter Vescey and Bill Simmons point out below:
"I can't recall anyone so diminutive at the pro level so infuriatingly one-dimensional. Even compulsive scoring Calvin Murphy averaged 4.4 assists during his 10-year career, going slightly over seven twice. I mean, nobody loathes sharing the sphere more than Earl Boykins, yet he's accidentally conceived 3.3 assists per over eight seasons.
"Robinson's numbers are downright Yinka Dare-ish. But at least the 6-foot-10 Yinka (R.I.P.) didn't have the ball in his hands 90 percent of the time."
And here's ESPN's Bill Simmons, who in a recent rant lumped another former Rainier Beach star into the calumny:
"Not only is there a good chance that no Knicks player will finish with more than four assists a game, but two of the biggest ball hogs in recent NBA history (Nate Robinson and Jamal Crawford) might crack a combined 4,500 minutes this season without notching 350 assists combined. Did you know Robinson has played 16 games and 343 minutes and dished out 24 assists total? He's a point guard! He's 5-foot-7!!!! How is this possible?
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Well, i agree in principle (i'm not a huge fan of nate's) but some counter points:
First, The entire first article, centering mostly on the fight, talks about how it was pre-meditated and how "we Aren't going to let them do that" and "it was expected". Isn't that just him playing for his coach at the time?
http://gothamist.com/2006/12/18/did_isiah_order.phpI mean, i know it's not an excuse, but Isiah all but admitted he told his players to start a fight that night. Not letting nate off the hook, but just wondering why it's so shocking he did what his coach told him to do.
Second:
Robinson also has earned a reputation as a bench jockey who trash-talks to players on the floor.
I can think of another player with the above reputation, who I really like as a player and spark plug, who is about to leave the team. Eddie is accused of this all the time, and he clearly talks alot of trash (including to other teams benchs during live play)
Again, not excusing Nate, but wondering exactly what the difference is between eddie's actions and nate's.
The most concerning thing to me is his assist numbers, but again, Eddie doesn't pass leading to assists either.
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/eddie_house/Eddie averages one assist in his minutes on the floor. one.
Sure eddie doesn't dribble often, but when's the last time you saw him get a pass and not chuck, barring a guy up in his jersey?
I just think this is a no-brainer as a move. I share the concerns about NAte's attitude and assist numbers, but i just don't think thats enough justification to keep a player who is clearly worse.
If the deal changes, and we give up something other than eddie for nate, or eddie and something if we get this landry kid, then i'll change my opinion accordingly.
But to me, legit concerns aside:
Nate for Eddie, straight up, is a deal you make any day.
Topic: Why are we adding Nate Robinson? (Read 18708 times)