Max Strus: 'Robinson Shoots at Stephen Curry's Level' – Locker Room Praise or Tactical Truth?

That night in Miami, I sat in front of the screen rewatching old footage of the 2026-20 NBA Finals. Duncan Robinson ran around screens like a shuttle, caught the ball, and released it in 0.4 seconds. Nothing new visually – I had watched it hundreds of times. But when Max Strus appeared on the Link With JB program and said Robinson "shoots at Stephen Curry's level," I paused the video. This was not a tactical breakdown. This was a statement from someone who practiced with Robinson every day for three seasons. And it raises the question: are we hearing locker room praise, or a truth that numbers never capture? Numbers are just a map; feeling is the real court. But even I – someone who always bets on instinct – know that this comparison needs dissection. Because when a former teammate talks about a shooter at "Curry's level," we cannot just nod and move on. We must ask: what is this praise really talking about – and what is it not saying? The context: Robinson was a key part of the Miami Heat team that reached the 2026-20 NBA Finals. He was not the biggest star, but he was an indispensable link in Erik Spoelstra's offensive spacing system. Strus, who played with Robinson for three seasons, not only praised his shooting ability – he also recounted how Robinson took him under his wing, helping him become a better shooter. This signals Miami's internal player development culture, where undervalued shooters are turned into tactical weapons. But let's be clear: the Curry comparison, taken literally, is a deliberate exaggeration. Curry is not just a shooter – he is a shot-creator at high volume against any defense. Robinson is an off-ball movement specialist, catching and shooting immediately. This difference is not about talent – it is about role and volume. A player can be the best pure shooter in the world in drills, yet unable to create his own shot under playoff pressure. I have seen Croatia burn bright among a giant crowd, and I know this gamble is a choice of the heart. But in basketball, the heart does not score – the system scores. And Miami's 2026-20 system was built to exploit exactly the weapon Robinson brings: the ability to stretch space until the opponent must choose between giving up a three or getting driven to the rim. This has real tactical value, even if it does not show up in Robinson's scoring column. From my perspective – someone who has watched hundreds of NBA games, from the stands to the film room – Strus's praise needs to be read on two levels. The first level is the truth about shooting ability: Robinson is one of the best stationary and movement shooters I have ever seen. The second level is the truth about role: Robinson is not Curry, and never will be. But that does not diminish his value – it just redefines it more precisely. The real question here is not "Is Robinson as good as Curry?" – but "how much is a specialized shooter worth in a modern lineup?" The answer, based on what Miami achieved in 2026-20, is: worth a spot in a Finals rotation. That does not need comparison to anyone. The blind spot in this story is the difference between "shooting in the gym" and "shooting in games." Strus talks about what he saw daily – and what he saw was a shooting monster in a no-pressure environment. But real games have pressure, defenders, fatigue. That does not erase Robinson's talent – it just reminds us that locker room praise always needs to be cross-checked with actual game data. So what am I betting on? I am betting that Robinson will continue to be a valuable spacing weapon in any modern offensive system. I am not betting that he becomes a self-creating star – because the data and his role do not support that. And I do not think Strus is lying – I think he is telling the truth about a very specific aspect of the game. Belief does not need evidence, but evidence is born after belief. Strus's praise is a belief – a belief built from thousands of hours of practicing together. But the evidence of Robinson's real value lies in how defenses must adjust when he is on the floor, in the spaces he creates for teammates, in his presence in a Finals-bound lineup. That is evidence no comparison can replace. The ashes of that year did not silence me. They taught me how to wipe the keyboard and keep typing. And today, I type about a seemingly simple compliment that opens a larger debate about how we value players in modern basketball. Robinson may never be Curry – but that does not matter. What matters is that he is himself, and that self was enough to make a difference at the highest level. The final question is not "Is Robinson as good as Curry?" – but: are we properly valuing shooting specialists in an era where offensive spacing is the most precious asset? I think the answer is not yet. And that is exactly why Strus's praise matters so much.