Miami Heat: Caleb Martin Deserves 2022 NBA Dunk Contest Bid
By Isiah Curry
The two players after Adebayo, holding the second and third most dunks are the Miami Heat’s leading scorer, Jimmy Butler, and you guessed it— Martin himself.
While Butler isn’t the most explosive of athletes, he gets several opportunities to dunk in transition or as a cutter. Much of the same could be said for Martin, although he isn’t as experienced at making those certain reads that allow Jimmy to take advantage of the openings as he does.
It’s always a pleasure to see Miami have involvement at any All-Star weekend, but with the effects of their current team injuries, some players may miss that opportunity. Back in 2020, the Heat were productive during the events.
From Adebayo being named a first-time All-Star in 2020 and winning the Skills Challenge along the way, to Duncan Robinson partaking in the Three Point Contest, it was a great sight to behold. As far as the upcoming festivities, it could pave the way for an underground talent to jump further onto the scene, as Martin is exactly that.
In 22 games, Martin has averaged 6.7 points on 46 percent shooting from the field. While playing 18.9 minutes per game, he finds himself in the top five in Plus/Minus for the Miami Heat.
He even holds the third-highest Defensive Rating for all Heat players after Gabe Vincent and Adebayo, the organization’s defensive anchor. If Caleb continues to showcase his length and athleticism at this rate, the highlights will continue to accumulate where they matter, the real games.
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However, an appearance at the 2022 All-Star Weekend should be considered for a truly graceful athlete and besides, it’d just be super awesome for him, the Miami Heat Faithful, and the league.