Charlotte Hornets NBA Draft: Second round buzz for Cody Martin

Cody Martin, former Nevada Wolf Pack player and twin of Caleb Martin, could be called by the Charlotte Hornets in the late second round of the 2019 NBA Draft.

The Charlotte Hornets hold two second round pick in this year draft, precisely the 36th and the 52nd picks. Cody Martin will likely be available in that side of the draft and could be a perfect fit for many teams.

A lot of draft experts and media are convinced that he could be not drafted at all. So why shall the Charlotte Hornets select a player that is projected to be undrafted?

Martin and his brother grew up in Cooleemee, a small village right between Charlotte and Greensboro. The opportunity to play for the Hornets could be great for him; he’s a true local kid.

Born in Mocksville, he will be 24 before the 2019-20 NBA season starts. This is one of the reason why he is not considered a guy to draft, teams often prefers younger guys even if they are raw. He spent four years in college, dividing his experience between NC State and Nevada.

He decided to declare to the NBA Draft last year, but then ultimately went back to school and completed the college run. In his last season as a Wolf Pack, Cody Martin appeared in the NCAA tournament, losing in the first round against the Florida Gators.

About Cody Martin

Height: 6′ 5”

Weight: 205 pounds

Wingspan: 6’10”

2018-19 stats: 12.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 steals in 34.4 minutes

Strengths:

• His size is NBA ready for his position
• Court awareness
• Great effort on the defensive end

Weaknesses:

• Old for being a draft pick
• Off ball offense
• Lack of quickness and first step

With the already underlined problems that the Charlotte Hornets back court will face this summer, adding a guard like Cody Martin would help the team during this hard transition. He could be the perfect fit for our late second round pick, the number 52 or, in case he goes undrafted, the franchise may offer him a two-way contract with the Greensboro Swarm.

Martin played the last part of his college experience as first ball handler for his team, despite not being a true point guard. In an NBA future he could be able to guard and face the 2 and 3 spot, thanks to his size. His body is similar to Jeremy Lamb‘s, he may be the perfect replacement.

His ability to carry the offensive load may help the Charlotte Hornets. During his college years, he displayed the ability to handle the ball with a high IQ. He is a good pick and roll ball handler and a smart creator, always ready to create offense for his team.

His shooting mechanics are quite fluid. Martin has a good touch shooting pull-up jumpers and finishing at the rim. One of the challenges he will have to face during his NBA career will be the three-point shooting.

In his college experience, he was reluctant at shooting threes, he was not an off-ball offensive threat because he passed up a lot of wide open threes.

His mechanics and his talent show that he may have the ability to overcome the shooting challenge. Being important off the ball is a crucial aspect for a modern guard, and he will have to work on this.

Cody Martin is a good team defender, his awareness on passing lanes and his ability to be active on the help side makes him a solid player on the defensive end, always providing a decent amount of blocks and steals.

In addition to that, he is a good rebounder, which is a characteristic that is important for a guard in the Hornets system.

He has a good motor during the whole game, always trying to make plays on both ends. Despite that, he lacks in quickness, especially with his first step. It’s not always enough to create space in 1 on 1 situations.

During the five-on-five scrimmages at the Draft Combine, he impressed a lot of experts. He showed his high IQ and the right willingness to play in the NBA.

He’s not the youngest player and he has not the upside you would expect from a draft pick, but the four seasons of college basketball helped Martin in becoming a solid player. His contributions as a bench player could be gold for the Charlotte Hornets, providing effort on both ends with his clever style.