Glenn Robinson set for present and future Pacers success

Glenn Robinson III finishes an Indiana Pacers five-on-five practice game with a thunderous breakaway dunk.

Then Paul George follows up with a windmill dunk, almost as if to say ‘anything you can do…’.

Fourth year guard Robinson isn’t upset at losing the limelight, he’s smiling… and laughing at what the thought of the likes of himself (23) a 26-year-old All Star (George) and 20-year-old centre Myles Turner could do in this league.

He’s not just talking in the future though, Glenn Robinson’s son is talking right now, 2017.

The bizarre 140-112 blowout loss to Denver in London, where the Pacers failed to clog up the lane, paint and move the ball at any pace aside, this team had been streaking.

And despite the loss the belief is still there – the confidence is there, the loss hopefully a blip on the radar – that was the message from George post game even though he struggled to find a reason why Indiana were flat.

For Indiana it should be a blip, the aforementioned young trio, along with Jeff Teague, Al Jefferson, Monta Ellis and Thaddeus Young should be too good to ignore, they just have to try and get through an Eastern Conference that now includes a Cleveland team with sharpshooter Kyle Korver.

Robinson though, son of a gun that he is, is looking forward.

“We have a great future,” Robinson said.

“I just turned 23 two days ago, Myles is 20, PG is only 26 I think we have a great opportunity to do something special, grow together and I look forward to a long career with these guys.

“I think (we can challenge this year) – we’re really starting to find ourselves and play better like we know we can.”

The seemingly always-smiling Turner agrees.

“We can go as far as we take ourselves, I think we’re very capable of making a splash in the Eastern Conference for years to come, it all starts this year though,” Turner said.

“I can see us going to the Eastern Conference Finals, once we start getting our chemistry together a lot more it can happen.”

This was all pre the shock loss to Denver though, still Indiana at their best are a good team in an Eastern Conference that is hardly stacked and that chemistry that was lacking in London is a key for Robinson.

“I think I bring a lot to this team, a lot of energy and helping us run,”Robinson said.

“My ability to do a little bit of everything on the court is something we need in that starting five, from defence to scoring and I think we have got a lot of great players on our team to do that.”

The former Michigan Wolverine has also increased his output on the defensive end and he and the Pacers are reaping the benefits of a confidence which has been instilled in him by none other than NBA legend Larry Bird.

The Pacers GM made the decision to prise Robinson from Philadelphia two years ago because he saw an upside in the son of his fellow Dream Team star.

At the time Bird said this of Robinson “He’s very impressive to me,” Bird said. “He’s long, strong and big.”

The praise Robinson says in part gave him a greater desire to succeed.

“Means a lot… for Larry Bird to watch me is really something special and something I always keep in mind – he gave me this opportunity,” Robinson said.

“When he sat me down and signed me he told me ‘this is small compared to what I envision you can do’.

“And I really believed him in that moment, and a couple of years later I’m starting.”

It’s not a bad seal of approval for a 23-year-old – endorsement from a legend.

As for the Pacers, if they play at their best there is that Cleveland problem – how do they match them?

Robinson has his own idea pout faith in the right people and believe in themselves.

“Yeah….making a great team greater but you know, I also have a lot of faith in this team and a lot of confidence in this team,” Robinson said.

“We can make our own history.”

Featured Image: Clutch Points