NBA Notes: Pistons, Duncan Robinson, Bucks, AJ Green, Bulls

Pistons

Duncan Robinson has been around long enough to understand that most NBA games are decided in the quiet moments. He showed as much on Friday, returning from an ankle sprain and giving the Pistons exactly what they needed in the fourth quarter.

Eight points in the final period, 14 for the night, and a sense of calm when the game started to tighten.

Robinson arrived in Detroit over the summer in that sign-and-trade with Miami. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has talked often about Robinson’s feel for timing, how he never seems rushed coming off a screen.

“He relishes those moments,” Bickerstaff told reporters. You could tell. Robinson moved as if he’d simply taken a few days off, not missed games. The PistoDoc Riversns like his shooting, of course, but they also like the way he doesn’t flinch when everyone else seems to.

Detroit isn’t short on young players who need the ball. Robinson gives them someone who knows where to stand, when to move, and when to shoot. That tends to help everyone breathe a little easier.

Bucks

Milwaukee is already trying to hold steady without Giannis Antetokounmpo, and now comes another concern. Guard A.J. Green injured his shoulder in Friday’s loss to Philadelphia and was scheduled for an MRI today. Doc Rivers didn’t sound overly optimistic afterward.

“Losing AJ Green hurts you,” Rivers told reporters. The Bucks have enough issues without losing another shooter.

Rivers mentioned that they “can’t sustain much more.” It’s the sort of comment coaches make when the training room is getting too crowded and the options are getting too thin.

The Bucks still have the pieces to win games, but it’s becoming clear they’ll need to do it a little differently until Giannis returns. Green had quietly become part of their spacing. Even small absences can feel large when a team is trying to stay afloat.

Bulls

Chicago dropped its sixth straight on Friday, this time to Indiana, 120-105. The Bulls didn’t look lost, exactly, but they didn’t look like a team sure of what comes next, either. That has been the story of their first month.

Coby White tried to steady the message afterward.

“It’s still a very long season,” he said, via Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. White has seen enough ups and downs in Chicago to understand that slumps can linger if you let frustration take control.

He talked about sticking together, holding the rope, riding out the noise. Players say that often, but White sounded like someone who still believes in this roster, even as the standings insist otherwise.

The Bulls are in that stage where effort isn’t the issue, but rhythm is. A long season leaves room for course corrections. The question is how long a team can wait before one is forced on them.