Miami Heat: Caleb Martin’s Offense Came Along, But Defense Already A Weapon
While the offensive side of the ball, in itself, is still a work in progress for the energy drink of a swingman, this is where he really makes his bones. Along with the energy, that translates into him being one heck of a defender when he’s focused.
DEFENSIVE GRADE: A-
Assuming Caleb’s physical capabilities by the eye test, one could’ve guessed that he was destined to contribute immediately on the defensive end. To be 6’5” and have a 6’10” wingspan is a strong backing for any player that‘s willing to defend with a purpose.
This season, Caleb did just that, as he took on several key assignments as one of coach Spoelstra’s top options on that side of the ball. Despite not having the size to consistently defend more of the larger front-court players, Caleb’s best defensive work came on the perimeter and beyond.
As it again circles back to energy for Caleb, the instincts of creating steals from the passing lanes and forcing turnovers in a full-court press (That 2-2-1 press with him and Gabe Vincent was just lethal) are rare qualities to find in today’s prospects.
Martin is as deployable of a wing defender as you could possibly wish for and he contributed greatly to an already elite defensive group.
OVERALL GRADE: B
In yet another outstanding find for the Miami Heat, Caleb Martin was a diamond in the rough and at 26 years old, he’s proved that he could stick in this league for many years. As he enters this summer as an Unrestricted Free Agent, several teams will be interested in his services.
If they can re-sign Martin to return to Miami next season, he’ll have an opportunity to be an even better player than he was in 2021-22—which is quite the scary thought.
He’s already a quality defender and there’s still room for his offense to catch up. Martin has become an interesting product via Miami’s developmental pipeline and the NBA landscape is beginning to see it all unfold.