By Tommy Beer
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Jan 10, 2006, 01:00

When the Knicks acquired Nate Robinson in a draft day deal with the Suns, the buzz surrounding the little big-man was his 48-inch vertical leap. It was also assumed that Robinson would help the Knicks by bringing an energy and intensity that the Garden had been lacking for years. Reports of his athletic exploits soon began to make their way around town. Robinson was the Player of the Year in basketball and football while a senior at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle. He also still owns the state record for the fastest time in the 100-meter hurdles. However, what was not expected was the all-around game that Nate has brought to the table. Robinson's shooting prowess has been far better than advertised. Robinson has been lights out from the behind the arc this season. He currently ranks second in the league in three-point shooting percentage, knocking down 48.3% of his attempts. Nate has also improved his scoring, rebounding and assist totals in each successive month this season. During the Knicks current three game winning streak, Robinson is averaging 13.7 points. He has also made numerous clutch shots in a number of Knicks' victories. The Sonics game was no exception. With the Knicks clinging to a one point lead, Nate knocked down two key free-throws with six seconds left in the fourth quarter.


Basketball News Services caught up with Nate after the game:



Three months into the season, what has been the biggest surprise of the NBA experience thus far?

Just playing, and really noticing that you are out there with all these great guys - guys like Ray Allen. I remember watching him in He Got Game and he would come to the University of Washington in the summertime to play with us. And now playing with him the NBA is just great.

The Knicks are now 3-0 this month and undefeated in 2006. Can you guys continue to build off this momentum? And do you guys have a shot at making the playoffs?

Definitely. We definitely feel that we can make it to the playoffs if we keep playing the way we are right now. But you just have to take it one game at a time. And we had a great win Friday also. We are playing harder and our team chemistry is finally there.

Talk a little about what happened today. The best free-throw shooter in the league, Luke Ridnour, who is shooting 95% on the year, misses two free-throws. Then, on the other end, Eddy Curry and Trevor Ariza both make their free-throws. It seems like for the first time in a while, you guys got that lucky, or unexpected, bounce that teams need in order to be successful.

It's funny - earlier in the game I was talking to Luke and I was telling him, "Man, we keep going under the screen because we know you 'aint gonna shoot it." And he told me that, "I make them when it counts." So, when he missed that first free-throw, I looked at him and he looked at me and was just like uugggh. And I told him I wasn't going to say nothing, but I told you so and he just looked down. And then we I had my free-throws; Ray Allen came over to me and said, "C'mon, this isn't the NCAA Tournament or the Pac-10." But I made my two and he looked at me and started smiling. But I could just see our team maturing at a fast level and we are out there having fun.

When you stepped to the line to shoot those free-throws at the end of the game, is that something you look forward to? Do you want the ball in your hands in those situations?

You definitely do, but at the time when you say you do and it really happens - you are like "Aaaahhhhh, I CAN NOT miss. Whatever you do, don't miss." But, I just knew. In practice, I shoot, I dribble, I do my routine. And I just say to myself, "OK, we are down one and we need two to win!" I always tell myself that whenever I practice free-throws. So, for me to make those two in the clutch was great. It felt good.

Before the game, you were playing and running around with your son on the court. Was it special having him here in the building? Did it give you a little extra motivation, a little confidence, with a comfort from home?

It's great because I look at him and I see myself as a kid. I love my son so much; I can't describe how much I love him. When I look at him it just puts a smile on my face. Anyone that has a kid could imagine how it would feel to see your own, right there on the court with the Knicks. Not a lot of guys can say that their kid has been out there. I mean, I looked over and I saw that Ray Allen was holding him! So I talked to my son and I told him, "Man, you don't even know who is holding you right now! This is an all-star." And you know, Stephon Marbury and Jamal (Crawford), all the guys on the team love him and everybody plays with him and it's been great.

With the All-Star festivities next month, any word on if you are going to be able to participate in the dunk contest? Is that something you have thought about at all?

I don't know, we will have to wait and see. Hopefully I will be able to get in it...

You haven't been able to bring the home crowd to its feet with a dunk in a game yet this season. Are you looking forward to that?

I mean, I'm not gonna force the issue. But it's gonna come, it is just something I have to be patient about, ya know.

Is there someone in particular you would like to catch under that basket?

Nah, whoever. I don't care who it is. I mean, if a ref is down there, then I'll try to dunk on him too.

Your fellow rookies are playing so well right now. Channing Frye is a Rookie of the Year candidate and now David Lee is starting and playing his best ball of the season. You guys are part of a young unit that has the chance to turn things around here. Is the fact that you guys came into the situation together something you discuss amongst yourselves?

Well, we don't really talk about it. We just try to lead by example, by showing the veterans and showing the coaches that we are here right behind you guys to bring the energy. Every day, me and David (Lee), we sit out on the sidelines before we go out and we say, "We are the energy guys and we got to bring it." That is just something that we do. Just because we know that Channing is gonna come in and bring everything that he's got. He comes in and gets dunks and makes his free-throws, makes his jumpers. Basically, he just plays good for us and it helps.

If you had to grade yourself on your performance up to this point in the season, what grade would you give yourself right now?

Probably a B-minus. Yeah, a B-minus right now. I still got a lot of room for improvement, but the year is not over. So hopefully I will be able to get that "A+"

What aspect, or aspects, of your game do you need to work on in order to take your game to that "A+" level?

I have to be more of a floor general. I have to know each spot. And without looking at coach, know which plays I can run for each guy. And whether the shot clock is running down, or if we need to get a free-throw or need to draw a foul, whatever the case may be...

this was a good read....i like nate 'the great' robinson

Very nice interview. Its nice to have a guy like Nate on this team.