Charlotte Hornets Rookie Watch: Cody Martin has a lot of potential
Despite facing backlash, the Charlotte Hornets now know that they made the right choice when they drafted Cody Martin.
The Charlotte Hornets faced a lot of backlash from fans when they selected Cody Martin in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft. Despite the negativity, Martin has played well in certain areas.
In his rookie season, Martin has played in twenty-two games for the Hornets. With the playing time that he’s received, Martin has averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
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Martin has struggled in some offensive areas early, as he’s only shooting 39% from the field and 19% from beyond the arc. Martin has managed to throw down some impressive dunks in the process.
While Cody Martin’s offense has been lacking, his defensive game has been impressive. Martin has been able to lock up a few tough opponents at times, and he’s played well when he comes off the bench.
Team defense is something that Coach James Borrego has preached about, and Martin possesses what he’s wanting. This can be proven by the fact that he’s received playing time ahead of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Dwayne Bacon at times.
One of the best defensive games that I’ve watched Martin play in was the win over the Indiana Pacers on November 5th. Martin did not score in this game, but he racked up a career-high in rebounds with 11, and he also finished the game with his highest +/- of the season with +27.
His second-best defensive game of this season was in the recent loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. In this game, Martin finished with 5 points and three steals, while also having a +/- rating of +19.
Besides Terry Rozier, Martin has to be one of the best defenders on the team. I had my doubts about Martin entering this season, but Martin changed my mind with his terrific on-ball defense, as well as his defensive awareness.
Martin has spent a significant amount of time this season switching between the Hornets and the Greensboro Swarm. In the five G-League games that Martin has played in, he’s averaged 18.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game.
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As this season progresses, I expect Martin to continue to receive more minutes. The Hornets are set to take on the Utah Jazz at home on Saturday night, and Martin should see a decent amount of time coming off the bench.