It’s not a “knee-jerking or just WTF R U Doing K-Mart” thread. Not at all. Last year he nearly set an NBA All-time record and was really close to become the first player in the league history to lead the league in both free throws made and three pointers made. He was averaging 8.5 to 9 FTA per game except March, when he wasn’t as aggressive, but anyway that were a huge numbers that really made him a special player. New rules are new rules, but come on! In the first five games (including Lakers) of this young season he attempted just 12 free throws totally. That’s a huge disadvantage to his game. He is not a physically gifted scorer like T-Mac was so he can’t dominate the game by going into the face off two defenders every time and shoot over them (especially with his release). So Martin is trying to compensate his lack of production in FT department with a long-range shooting and I’m OK with that when his threes are falling, but when he is cold, he really become a useless player. Last year he was trying to drive, to use some up-fakes, to do whatever it takes to go to the charity stripe and find his stroke there. Right now he has no chance of doing that so he is just shooting until it will finally start to fall. With his zero presence on boards and on defense, without Kev’s shot-making we are playing 4 on 5. What should Martin do to change those things? Drive to the rim more right into contact and force some fouls (not a good sign for injury-prone player with his lady frame)? Set more for this flops, up-fakes and his other things that are not working on the street under the new rules and beg for the refs? Or maybe just continuing to jack 8 threes per night and be ready that someday he’ll be 5-8 and someday 1-8 (this means that he’ll hurt the team by a lack in consistency department)? I don’t want to see him as just a streaky shooter at two-guard, because with all of his defensive struggles he’ll better be a high-volume Sixth Man, not a leading-scorer of the team. Two Buds at the same time on a starting five is too much, unless we are tanking.
Kevin Martin has been marked by the NBA. Because everybody else is still getting the same freakin calls!!!
I don't give a damn what he does. If he sucks then run his ass out of town! That failed trade is hurting us.
I noticed it early this season and mentioned it in one of the threads. Refs ain't calling any fouls on him this yr. Dunno if they are trying to clean the game up or toughing it up but he isn't getting any of those pump fakes fouls or little tick-tack fouls when he drives in like last year. He has to rely more on his shot and we're seeing more holes in his game now. His game is starting to look more like Bud's, just a better jumpshooter/cutter.
Refs got the memo on Kevin, he is going to have to shoot well on a nightly basis because his days of living on the line maybe over.
Stupid question but why doesnt Kmart workout? Has he ever tried maybe gaining some weight over the summer? Tmac came into the league looking like a stick and he bulked up really good. Seems the Orlando Magic can turn anyone from super skinny like Dwight and JJ Redick to beasts.
He has been marked by the league for whatever reasons. Its unwatchable now almost. He doesnt get calls and others still do.
I was just about to post a thread about this. Martin has averaged only 2.4 FTA/g over the first 5 games of this season. To illustrate what an extremely low number this is for him, check out his FTA average over the prior 5 seasons: As you can see, Martin hasn't had a 5 game stretch where he's averaged as low as 2.4 FTA since the end of the 05/06 season.
doesn't really help his game. not like he can bully guys in the post or use his strength to fight through contact to get to the rim because he doesn't do that.
Is he throwing it in because of the trade attempt? Like this is his passive aggressive way of telling the Rockets "F U for trying to trade me." I think I'm reaching here.
Kmart needs to drive more. Then he will get the calls like everyone else in the league. But the new NBA rule about no jumping into players has severely hurt Kmart. Not directly, but indirectly. Now Kmart doesn't even want to try jumping into players because he fears he won't get called for it. Remedy: Drive and shoot. He still looks like a stick, so he can get foul calls more often if he drives.
Definitely reaching. He was great the past 3 games. Too much knee-jerk going around the GARM lately. He just couldn't make shots today. His FT shooting, on the other hand, is worrisome and a real issue.
17.8ppg is not over 20... He isn't nearly as effective now that the refs are swallowing their whistles on him.
His true shooing percentages is 55.4% thru the first 5 games. His career true shooting percentage is 59.8%. Just relax.
