NBA Free Agents 2013: Nate Robinson is a Perfect Fit for Denver Nuggets





By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist

The Denver Nuggets signed Nate Robinson to a new deal on Monday and the signing couldn't be a better fit for new head coach Brian Shaw's squad.

The deal, according to ESPN.com, is worth two years and about four million dollars, which in my humble opinion is a steal for the Nuggets with what Robinson brings to the table.

This will be Robinson's sixth stop during his NBA career, but there's no question his 2012-13 season with the Chicago Bulls was one of his best. With Derrick Rose on the pine the whole season, Robinson stepped up big for the Bulls as a spark off the bench for a team in desperate need of some offensive energy.

During the postseason, Robinson exploded for 16.3 points, 4.4 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game to go along with one steal per contest. He was very much responsible for Chicago getting past the Brooklyn Nets via upset in the first round of the playoffs last season.

Not only can he be a terror driving to the basket, but Robinson also has an outside game that must be respected and can help Denver spread the floor even more next season.
Another advantage to having Robinson on the roster is his knowledge of defense.

Robinson played for head coach Tom Thibodeau last season, who is easily one of the smartest defensive minds in the league and there's no question the Nuggets can use all the help they can get on defense after being the league's worst last season.

The loss of Andre Iguodala was a tough one for the Nuggets to swallow this offseason, but Robinson's abilities on both sides of the ball as an offensive threat and a defensive pest will be greatly welcomed by a team in desperate need of some depth off the bench.

Not to mention, Robinson is the kind of guy who can be considered an agitator with his antics off the bench and that's helpful in taking opposing players off their games as they are more concerned with Robinson's high-energy celebrations on and off the court.

And at two million per season, the Nuggets saved a ton of money and years on their payroll instead of using it on Iguodala and brought in a strong impact player who will no doubt make a huge difference in Denver for the 2013-14 campaign.