Duncan Robinson’s college debut was ruined by a ceiling. Literally. On Nov. 15, 2013, seven years before he’d start for the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, Robinson was a tentative freshman at Division III Williams College. Williams opened its season against a 400-student school that no longer exists. A scheduling conflict forced the game off campus, five miles east, to the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Amsler Gymnasium’s yellow and navy bleachers held 808 fans. Approximately zero knew they were watching a future NBA assassin.
And how could they have? Robinson, a scrawny 6-7 wing, hadn’t officially been named a starter until the season’s eve.