Golden State Warriors wing Glenn Robinson III is back in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Houston Rockets, per ESPN's Nick Friedell, just in time to draw James Harden as a defensive assignment:
Glenn Robinson III is back in the lineup today. Kerr says he will get a lot of time defending Harden today.
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) December 25, 2019
Merry Christmas, Glenn!
Robinson did not play during Monday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves after rolling his ankle in practice, but he rejoins the rotation as the Warriors look to win their third straight.
The 25-year-old has been a major contributor for an injury-laden Warriors squad, averaging 11.6 points and 4.7 rebounds through his first 30 games while shooting close to 40 percent from beyond the arc.
Robinson has also been Golden State's most dependable individual defender in the wake of their defensive struggles as a team. He has taken the onus of guarding the opposing teams' best player on a nightly basis (via Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle):
Robinson was the lone Warrior to start each of the team’s first 29 games, and with Green and Kevon Looney bouncing in and out of the lineup with injuries, it’s been the 6-foot-6, 222-pound Robinson who has generally drawn the toughest defensive assignments.
He’s defended LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. When Zach Lavine called for an isolation in the closing seconds of the Warriors’ game at Chicago on Dec. 6, it was Robinson who refused to let Lavine get to the rim and forced the guard into missing a potentially go-ahead 3-pointer.
Harden presents a wholly different challenge for Robinson.
The reigning NBA scoring champion is averaging 38.6 points per game, and he can get his points from beyond the arc and at the free throw line. Harden is averaging an astronomical 12.8 freebies per game entering Wednesday's game.
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