I think he can be an All Star in 4+ years, just needs to add strength and experience. Athletic Horry/Tucker type. Maybe an offensively rawer John Collins. With seasonal shrinkage at the NBA PF position and him slowly putting on muscle, I can't see him being undersized for the PF position very long. He's one of those guys who I can see succeeding while being overmatched anyway. His shotblocking ability is interestingly complimentary to Sengun's game, his shooting is dipping but he is already good at hitting open 3's which is great for Sengun/Green spacing. At worst he can be a good catch and shoot player, finisher, shotblocker, rebounder and eventually defender. That's a really really good role player.
Lol @ all star. This guy's ceiling is an important rotation player on a contender. I don't see him being a starter he doesn't have many elite skills such as three point shooting, defense, or playmaking. He's decent at defense and can jump really high.
I would have to agree for the most part. Usually guys who reach All-Star level talent come into the league at a much higher level on any one of those categories. I see his highest upside being something like an Ariza type but that will take several more years.
You can’t expect star potential out of all your prospects. KMJ is a nice prospect who has a lot of potential. I don’t think it’s all star potential and he’s still very early in his development, but he does a lot of things well and has the talent and athletic ability to be a starter if he takes another step next year. He’s a good young prospect worth developing. rockets fans should consider: Martin/Tate/Green/Christopher/Sengun/and Matthews to be the core of an early rebuild. We should be converting players like Wood and Gordon into more rebuilding assets.
Since you had the epiphany of him being an Allstar in 4+ years. While you said he was a Tucker and Horry type who never did make an Allstar game.
I still don't get it. I said he will become an all Star, it doesn't really matter if someone else was worthy, or if his player comp didn't make it.
The point is that he likely won't be an Allstar unless he is prioritized. A 6th man off the bench is not going to be an Allstar. If the Rockets keep on drafting high picks, he would get less PT. If a team picks him up and gives him starter minutes, he has a better chance. Better players have not made the Allstar game.
It doesn't matter if better players have missed it, I'm just predicting he WILL make it and for that to happen yes other things will change in the journey. Obviously, i don't believe any of the issues (PT, rotations, etc) you mentioned will be relevant in even 2 years, nevermind 4+. Those are minor details. The NBA is about basketball players and pioneering/lucky GM's, everything else combined is 10%. Michael Jordan was going to be Michael Jordan, it didn't matter that he walked into a locker room with a bunch of coked up basketball players carrying guns. KJ Martin is confident and hardworking, he keeps showing up, and you know who he's going to be on and off the court. Doesn't have major issues except a bunch of old men with bellies keep telling him he is too skinny to be better than mediocre. He just goes out there and toughs it out. Those guys in the NBA outpace everyone else.
I think both him and Tate will be players who will be great role players on a contending team. Teams will defend the star players and say “let’s make KJ Martin beat us” and he’d be getting open looks and lanes that he doesn’t get very often here. He’d also be getting facilitated too with back cuts and off the screen passes etc. from a great player that he’s not getting now with no great star facilitator on the court. So should the Rockets keep him if a team like Golden State offers up a first round pick for him? Ahh… man that’s tough. I think he has more value to a contending team honestly and if the price is right I think you gotta take a solid offer. Letting him stay here and continue to develop though isn’t a terrible consolation prize. I think the Rockets should entertain offers for everyone but I think both KJ and Tate will probably get called about the most from contending teams needing that 5th starter who does a little of everything and costs little.
The other aspect was that you seem to lower the standards of a legit Allstar. Only the Top 25 players should be considered while Top 50 should be ones on the outside looking in. Not every athletic guy can make it, we should limit guys becoming Allstars to raise the standard of the entire league.
