Charlotte Hornets: The Good and Bad from the Returning Core

Cody Martin

The Good

The Good: Every coach says players earn their minutes in practice, but that’s definitely the case for Cody. Sure it’s a cliche you’ve heard ad nauseum, but his contributions don’t always show up in the box score.

Even in the 4 preseason games, he moves every second like it’s the game-deciding play of the Finals. That’s less impressive for a player trying to earn a spot on the team (the boat Martin was in last year) than it is for one like Cody, who’s more or less solidified his role as the archetypical rotation player for a coach from the Popovich tree-like Borrego.

Martin continues to raise the energy level of the team, taking charges, feeling screens before they catch him, and playing an unsexy brand of smart, grinding defense on scoring guards. His sure-handedness with the ball offensively will allow him to slot into Gordon Hayward’s spot when he misses games, and he brings dribbling security and peripheral playmaking to the second unit as well. Martin is also getting a better feel for when to cut to the basket off-ball.

The Bad

“Glue guy” is often a consolation title for players who can plug the holes in the boat, but struggle to bail out water. Martin’s advanced age for a sophomore player and limited athleticism make him better at preventing the bad than creating the good, which is fine next to more talented players, but creates a set of problems on its own.

Cody will take the occasional drive and hit shots, but his only above-average skill is as a facilitator. Unfortunately, he still hasn’t improved as a jump-shooting threat (a crucial weapon for players lacking burst) and likely never will at this point.

With the ball in his hands, he’s little more than competent and below-average as a pick and roll handler. Without it, he has no shooting gravity and doesn’t seem to show up on the defense’s radar in general. His minutes will correlate negatively with Malik Monk’s performance this season.