When the news broke last summer that the Pistons had acquired Cliff Robinson from the Phoenix Suns for reserves John Wallace and Jud Buechler, the initial response from many fans and media members was, "Cliff Robinson? The Pistons are taking on an awful lot of baggage."
  There was talk about the well-documented locker-room fights he had with teammates in Portland (James Robinson) and Phoenix (Penny Hardaway). There was talk of his arrest last year on a DUI charge.
  What a disservice it would be to a brilliant NBA career if those isolated incidents are what Robinson ultimately is remembered for.
  "Those things are so overblown," said Kenny Vance, a former beat writer and now radio show host in Portland, who covered the Blazers during Robinson's years (1989-97). "You talk to anybody who played with him, here or anywhere, or any of his coaches, and the word they use to describe him is 'leader.' He has really gotten an unfair reputation as a bad guy. That's the last thing he is."