Nate Robinson

After only one season with the Bulls, Nate Robinson came to the Nuggets as a free agent on a two-year deal. The signing bolsters the point guard position for Denver as Robinson has always brought energy off the bench. He will be battling for primary backup duties with Andre Miller, but given Miller's age, I would give the nod to Robinson.

After being resigned to mop-up duty in 2010-11 as a member of talented playoff-bound teams in Boston and then Oklahoma City, Robinson saw more run off the bench with a youthful Golden State squad in 2011-12, scoring 11.2 points per game while dishing out 4.5 assists. It came as little surprise that Robinson put up decent numbers for a bad team, since his best seasons in the past came with the horrendous Knicks teams of the mid- to late-2000s. However, Robinson will now get the opportunity to play an impactful role for a contender after signing with the Bulls. Robinson, along with new acquisition Kirk Hinrich and draft pick Marquis Teague, will attempt to replace Derrick Rose, who is expected to miss a significant part of the regular season, if not the entire season. The steady but unspectacular Hinrich will likely be used as the starter, but the most valuable of the three guards is Robinson, who has more upside as a scorer and assist man. Robinson has proven effective in reading the passing lanes on defense, as he collected 1.3 steals per game last season in just 23.4 minutes per game. Those minutes should only rise as a member of the Bulls, especially with the team expected to be in need of a catalyst off the bench at the guard spot on most nights.

Robinson, who averaged 6.5 points per game with Boston last season, will now have to compete with first round pick Avery Bradley for playing time. Regardless, Robinson is likely to be a valuable reserve for the Celtics.

In Robinson’s first year in Mike D’Antoni’s frenetic offense, “Krypto-Nate” emerged as one of the top bench scorers in the league. Unfortunately, that might have been his only season playing D’Antoni-ball. Robinson, a restricted free agent, is currently without contract for the 2009-10 season, and with the Knicks desperate to cut salary, is unlikely to get anything more than a one-year offer from New York. As a fantasy option, Robinson doesn’t offer much aside from his scoring. His shot selection can be maddening, which leads to his pedestrian percentages – 43.7 percent shooting from the floor, 32.5 percent from three. He has boundless athleticism and an excellent nose for the ball, but as a 20-30 minute per game player doesn’t have the time to generate big steal or rebound numbers. Assuming he does land back in New York, his role may change somewhat with the addition of rookie combo guard Toney Douglas and Larry Hughes on hand for a full season.

You’ve heard a player described as a shooting guard in a point-guard’s body? They were talking about Robinson. When Stephon Marbury imploded last season, the job was open for Robinson, but coach Isiah Thomas used Mardy Collins, Freddie Jones and Jamal Crawford more than Robinson. And now the new coach, Mike D’Antoni, made a point guard (Chris Duhon) the team’s major free-agent acquisition. For Robinson to make a fantasy impact this season, it will have to be as a scorer and as a shooting guard. And that’s a role already covered by Jamal Crawford.

Robinson is an exceptional athlete and can score, but hasn’t developed into a good point guard, and that’s what the Knicks really need from him. Stephon Marbury has managed to alter his game to accommodate Isiah Thomas’ “pound the ball in to Eddy Curry” offense, but Robinson plays more like a shooting guard in a body that would be small at the point. Unless he can develop more of a traditional pass-first game, he’s in danger of losing backup minutes to second-year man Mardy Collins.

The New York papers keep saying that Marbury will shift to shooting guard. Assuming that’s true, who emerges at the point? It could be the rookie Robinson, who is sure to emerge as a crowd favorite at Madison Square Garden with his energy and incredible hops… and Spud Webb size.

Robinson might be the quickest player in the draft. He's an explosive athlete whose competitive nature is unlike any other. Robinson's size is his biggest issue because his game more resemble a shooting guard's than a point guard's. He's drawn comparisons to Earl Boykins. He could be a late second rounder, or go undrafted.