http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/136954.html
In discussion or on offense, Martin gets lots of attention
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:10 am PDT Tuesday, March 13, 2007
CLEVELAND-There are numbers to be crunched and a case to be made, but the measure of Kevin Martin's season is much more simple than that.
The cool kids talk to him now. And about him.
Like Seattle's Ray Allen, who has tried and failed three times this season to slow Martin and gone from friendly to not-so-amused in the process.
Or Shaquille O'Neal, who approached the Kings' third-year shooting guard a while back. The "Big Aristotle" shared his philosophy on Martin's game, giving rave reviews and leaving Martin's head spinning with delight.
There was renowned defender Bruce Bowen of San Antonio, who dropped a compliment Sunday before Martindropped 26 points in a loss to the Spurs. And most recently, even one of the most respected teachers was preaching his praises when asked if Martin was deserving of the league's Most Improved Player award.
"If I was Kevin Martin, I'd probably be disappointed if I was just Most Improved Player," Denver coach George Karl said. "How about, He's just a damn good basketball player? He's moved into a level of All-Star talent and skills. He's above and better than the award for Most Improved Player, in my opinion.
"He's real. He's a problem."
For everyone but the Kings.
Tonight's challenge is the hometown Cleveland squad, with Martin playing less than a three-hour drive from where he grew up in Zanesville, Ohio. He is, for once, a step ahead of local legend LeBron James, whose Player of the Week honor announced Monday is his first of the season and comes one week after Martin earned the honor for the first time in the West.
Across the NBA nation, the honor only spurred an already-heated discussion over the Most Improved award and who is worthy.
Yet Martin was already in the debate before the latest development, when he proved over an extended period of time that he could, in fact, carry a heavier load. In early January, Kings coach Eric Musselman wondered aloud if Martin's efficiency would dip if he became an even bigger part of the offense.
It's no longer a mystery. In the 22 games in which Martin has taken at least 15 shots, he has averaged 27.2 points. He's converting 52.6 percent of his shots in those games, above his season-long mark of 49.3.
Yet while Martin doesn't have the all-around game of fellow Most Improved candidates Andre Iguodala of Philadelphia or Deron Williams of Utah, his scoring and efficiency are unequaled. He remains the league's only player to average 20 or more points on less than 14 shots (13.8), and the increase in his points-per-game difference from one year to the next (10.6) leads the league and is trailed by Memphis' Hakim Warrick (8.4).
He has also maintained a penchant for drawing fouls that started in July Summer League play, when Martin's shot wasn't falling but he was routinely finding his way to the free-throw line. He leads the team in free-throw attempts (434) and is in the top 20 in the league. On Feb. 25, the knack reached a historic level when his 18 made free throws at Indiana eclipsed the Sacramento-era record of Chris Webber and Travis Mays (17).
"I'm kind of (ticked) he gets as many calls as he gets," Karl said with a smile. "I wish (Allen Iverson) or (Carmelo Anthony) would get the calls he gets."
Martin's motion has made him among the league's few who draw comparisons to future Hall of Famer Reggie Miller when it comes to style, and he has long studied film of players such as Detroit's Richard Hamilton or Miami's Dwyane Wade to hone the tactic. He didn't use it much on Sunday against the Nuggets, when his jump shots weren't falling and he was a non-factor. Yet he used it plenty against the Spurs on Thursday, fighting through Bowen's pesky grasp to score 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting.
"I told (Bowen) ... 'I learn something every time I go against you,' " Martin said. "It seems like I always have a bad first half against him, and then the second half I get moving. I stayed with it."
Karl, who has an energetic one on his roster in Iverson, said it's the non-stop motion that makes Martin such a tough cover.
"I think right now, he probably moves off the ball as well as anybody in the NBA," Karl said. "I think he runs and cuts and reads screens, back cuts and back doors probably as well as anybody. He has a versatile game and an efficient game."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
In discussion or on offense, Martin gets lots of attention
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:10 am PDT Tuesday, March 13, 2007
CLEVELAND-There are numbers to be crunched and a case to be made, but the measure of Kevin Martin's season is much more simple than that.
The cool kids talk to him now. And about him.
Like Seattle's Ray Allen, who has tried and failed three times this season to slow Martin and gone from friendly to not-so-amused in the process.
Or Shaquille O'Neal, who approached the Kings' third-year shooting guard a while back. The "Big Aristotle" shared his philosophy on Martin's game, giving rave reviews and leaving Martin's head spinning with delight.
There was renowned defender Bruce Bowen of San Antonio, who dropped a compliment Sunday before Martindropped 26 points in a loss to the Spurs. And most recently, even one of the most respected teachers was preaching his praises when asked if Martin was deserving of the league's Most Improved Player award.
"If I was Kevin Martin, I'd probably be disappointed if I was just Most Improved Player," Denver coach George Karl said. "How about, He's just a damn good basketball player? He's moved into a level of All-Star talent and skills. He's above and better than the award for Most Improved Player, in my opinion.
"He's real. He's a problem."
For everyone but the Kings.
Tonight's challenge is the hometown Cleveland squad, with Martin playing less than a three-hour drive from where he grew up in Zanesville, Ohio. He is, for once, a step ahead of local legend LeBron James, whose Player of the Week honor announced Monday is his first of the season and comes one week after Martin earned the honor for the first time in the West.
Across the NBA nation, the honor only spurred an already-heated discussion over the Most Improved award and who is worthy.
Yet Martin was already in the debate before the latest development, when he proved over an extended period of time that he could, in fact, carry a heavier load. In early January, Kings coach Eric Musselman wondered aloud if Martin's efficiency would dip if he became an even bigger part of the offense.
It's no longer a mystery. In the 22 games in which Martin has taken at least 15 shots, he has averaged 27.2 points. He's converting 52.6 percent of his shots in those games, above his season-long mark of 49.3.
Yet while Martin doesn't have the all-around game of fellow Most Improved candidates Andre Iguodala of Philadelphia or Deron Williams of Utah, his scoring and efficiency are unequaled. He remains the league's only player to average 20 or more points on less than 14 shots (13.8), and the increase in his points-per-game difference from one year to the next (10.6) leads the league and is trailed by Memphis' Hakim Warrick (8.4).
He has also maintained a penchant for drawing fouls that started in July Summer League play, when Martin's shot wasn't falling but he was routinely finding his way to the free-throw line. He leads the team in free-throw attempts (434) and is in the top 20 in the league. On Feb. 25, the knack reached a historic level when his 18 made free throws at Indiana eclipsed the Sacramento-era record of Chris Webber and Travis Mays (17).
"I'm kind of (ticked) he gets as many calls as he gets," Karl said with a smile. "I wish (Allen Iverson) or (Carmelo Anthony) would get the calls he gets."
Martin's motion has made him among the league's few who draw comparisons to future Hall of Famer Reggie Miller when it comes to style, and he has long studied film of players such as Detroit's Richard Hamilton or Miami's Dwyane Wade to hone the tactic. He didn't use it much on Sunday against the Nuggets, when his jump shots weren't falling and he was a non-factor. Yet he used it plenty against the Spurs on Thursday, fighting through Bowen's pesky grasp to score 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting.
"I told (Bowen) ... 'I learn something every time I go against you,' " Martin said. "It seems like I always have a bad first half against him, and then the second half I get moving. I stayed with it."
Karl, who has an energetic one on his roster in Iverson, said it's the non-stop motion that makes Martin such a tough cover.
"I think right now, he probably moves off the ball as well as anybody in the NBA," Karl said. "I think he runs and cuts and reads screens, back cuts and back doors probably as well as anybody. He has a versatile game and an efficient game."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
