Ranking the Hornets' options for their 5th starting spot
By Orel Dizon
3. Cody Martin
After Miles Bridges, Cody Martin is the Charlotte Hornets' longest-tenured player, having been with the franchise since it plucked him in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft.
That's not the sole reason the Hornets should try him out as a starter, though. Martin has proven to be a solid defender when healthy. As such, he could be an apt puzzle piece alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, both of whom have the tools to be at least solid defenders but have yet to reach their potential on that end of the floor.
However, there are a few obstacles to Martin's promotion to the starting lineup. For one, his stints on the injured list in the past two seasons is incredibly concerning. Part of Charlotte's disappointing 2023-24 campaign was the plethora of injuries it endured.
Much has already been said about Ball and Mark Williams missing many games in the past two years. But Martin has actually made fewer combined appearances (35) in the previous two seasons than Ball (58) and Williams (62).
In addition, assigning the North Carolina native as a full-time starter could shrink the floor for the Hornets because of his inefficiency from the 3-point area. Despite converting 38.4% of his long-distance shots in the 2021-22 campaign, he is a career 31.7% shooter from that range.
So, Martin probably shouldn't expect to be on the court at tip-off, but it isn't a zero-percent chance.