Scouting and Highlights: Jona Robinson (2018)
Jona Robinson is a 5’5″ guard who plays his high school ball with Jackson and his AAU with the Lansing Prospectors. Robinson plays well above his size due to a combination of both great heart and great athleticism. He had an impressive summer of AAU ball, turning in many big time performances, multiple of which came against some of the top competition in the Midwest. Robinson, a 2018, is poised to continue this success into the high school season and have a breakout year for Jackson.
Here’s my take on Robinson’s game:
Strengths:
Athleticism – Jona is 5’5″ and is routinely elevating over much taller opponents to make plays, whether that be blocking a shot, finishing at the rim, or simply grabbing a rebound. Robinson has that quick, springy basketball athleticism that helps him elevate without having to run up into his jump. A perfect example of his elite athleticism came this past weekend at the Prep Hoops Top 250 camp, where he was seen dunking.
Scoring – Robinson is an elite scorer. The complete package offensively, he gets it done at all three levels. This combination of great handles and ability to change direction quickly makes it hard for even the best defenders to stay in front of him. He’s a consistent scorer in any game, but he also has that streaky ability to heat up and simply takeover a game.
Playmaking – While Robinson is certainly a score-first player, that doesn’t mean he’s not an able playmaker. His playmaking ability is almost on par with his scoring ability. His ability to penetrate at will allows him to draw help defenders, leaving an easy pass to be made to the open teammate.
Heart – This is perhaps the most impressive part of Robinson’s game. It’s impossible to miss when you watch him play. He has heart in every sense of the way – he goes hard on every possession, he shakes off tough hits/falls, he challenges opponents who are much bigger than him, he refuses to give up if his team is losing. It’s something about the way he plays that seems to inspire his teammates to play just as hard, making his team a tough match for even the best opponents.
Areas For Development:
Size – Obviously he can’t control this, but it will be critical in determining the level of college ball he plays after high school. No doubt he’s as good as some of the top prospects in the 2018 class right now – he’s proven that head to head. However, it’s tough to see many colleges giving him a shot if he doesn’t grow at least a few more inches. While the size doesn’t really affect him on the offensive side of the ball, it’s the liability on the defensive side that is the issue. Robinson is actually a quality defender despite his small frame; however, there’s only so much he can do should he get matched up with a guard who is 6’+.
Limiting number of dribbles – Robinson not only gets away with, but excels at toying with defenders off the dribble. He’s able to make plays consistently and efficiently even after making multiple dribble-combo moves. This is something that most college coaches will not tolerate, however, so Robinson will need to prove he can consistently operate with limited dribbles.