Charlotte Hornets: Caleb Martin could turn into a consistent starter
Looking back on the 2019-20 season, one young player on the Charlotte Hornets surprised many.
As fans look forward to news on the NBA’s regular season, Charlotte Hornets fans are still looking forward to seeing their young players play. The 2019-20 season came as a surprise for Hornets fans, as many were not expecting development from some players to be so quick.
One player that fans should really be excited about is Caleb Martin. Clearly, his twin brother Cody Martin has a lot of potential and is a defensive stud, but Caleb has been putting in some work.
More from Swarm and Sting
- Hornets: Where does Brandon Miller’s ceiling rank among other rookies?
- Charlotte Hornets grade out mostly average in position-by-position ranking
- Hornets News: P.J. Washington makes bold statement on Brandon Miller
- Grade the mock trade: Hornets snag Tyler Herro, flip Gordon Hayward
- Will the Charlotte Hornets be in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery?
As an undrafted free agent, Caleb has averaged 6.2 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Still, one of his most impressive qualities has been his three-point shooting. Martin has made twenty threes this season; he’s shooting 54% from deep on the year.
Martin’s stats, however, do not reflect how he has truly played this season. After limited minutes to start the season, Caleb turned up his game and surprised many following the All-Star break.
After the All-Star break, Martin got the chance to play in ten constructive games. In those games, Martin averaged 8.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. During those ten-games, Martin also shot 62% from deep!
When the NBA’s regular season was coming to a halt, Martin actually finished by having the best two games of his rookie season. Martin finished with 23 points and three steals in the loss against the Atlanta Hawks, while also finishing with 19 points and four steals in the Hornets’ comeback win over the Miami Heat.
To narrow down the numbers, Martin averaged 21 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game in his last two games. Martin posted career numbers, and it’s hard to determine what he would’ve done against the Cleveland Cavaliers two days later.
If fans were to look at which undrafted free agents the Hornets have signed as of late, Martin would have to be one of the best. It would also seem like he has a future with the team, as he received a lot of playing time before the season’s suspension.
With Martin’s level of production following his consistent playing time, he could be looking at even more opportunities with the team. Martin has already started in one game this season, and he could get the chance again.
Next. Paul Silas made the case for being the best coach in Charlotte Hornets history. dark
No matter what happens to the rest of this season, Martin could be poised to have a larger role on the team. As a fan, I would’ve love to see how he played in a third straight game. No matter what, Coach James Borrego still has a lot of difficult decisions to make in the future.