Nate Robinson Shoots at Own Basket and Possibly Shot Himself in the Foot

Yes, the Knicks got the win over the New Jersey Nets this past weekend, but the thing everybody keeps talking about is Nate Robinson’s shot at his own basket.

What the hell was he thinking?

If you didn’t see it, Nate took a shot at his own rim as time winded down in the 1st quarter. No one is really sure if he thought time had expired already or what, but for some reason, this knee-jerk of a basketball player shot at his own hoop and made it!

While the shot was waived off because, ironically, Robinson did not get the ball off in time, Nate was subsequently benched for the rest of the game (although Mike D’Antoni claims it had nothing to do with Robinson’s shot). After the game, Robinson gave the media a “my bad” comment on the shot.

Look, I love Nate Robinson as a basketball player, and I was happy as all hell when I saw that he would continue to be a Knick for the 2009-2010 NBA season. But questions about Robinson’s maturity have always been there, and something like shooting at your own rim is proof positive of it. If David Lee did that, I would have very little to say on this situation, because I know the kind of work Lee puts in and the kind of focus he puts toward the craft of basketball. But Nate, who despite always showing up with plenty of effort, has always shown a lack of focus. And as much as we love to celebrate him for his effort, the lack of concentration is a detriment to the team—his recent “shot selection” not withstanding.

So I put this question to all New York Knicks fans. Is Nate Robinson someone you want around for the future?

Personally, I’m not sure, and it goes well beyond his maturity level. At 5’9”, Robinson isn’t really a point guard, and it’s hard to envision the Knicks becoming a playoff team with a starting shooting guard at that height. Thus, that makes Robinson a perennial bench player, but are the Knicks really going to pay Robinson his open-market value for him to be an undersized guard that doesn’t exactly shoot the lights out of the ball and comes off the bench? Not if they’re trying to win championships they won’t.

So when you add the questions of immaturity to the mix, then it really becomes hard to defend keeping Nate Robinson on the team. After all, bench players are supposed to be able to play a specific role and provide that night in and night out. While Robinson brings the effort needed to play such a role, rarely does he demonstrate the maturity to stay with in his bounds. To call Robinson’s shot at his own basket on Saturday poor shot selection is the understatement of the year, but to tell you the truth, it was one of the few shots he has taken this season that wasn’t forced.

So while I would love to see Robinson stick around, be a life-long Knick and be the reflection of every “little-guy” in New York out in Manhattan putting forth the effort to make it in this city, I won’t cry if he goes. The only way the Knicks need to keep him is if he cheap, and if he demonstrates some maturity before the rest of the season is over. Because as far as 5’9” basketball players go, they really are a dime a dozen. And even though Robinson is more talented than most players his size, he needs to remind himself that he’s still 5’9”, and that his athleticism alone will never make up for his size. Players of his height make in the NBA because of their minds, not their speed and vertical jumps. If Nate doesn’t figure that out before the 2009-2010 NBA season is over, then I think it’s time he continue his growth process with another team.

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