Just 35 days before the 2021-22 NBA season began, the Miami Heat were in the final stages of filling out their opening night roster. Part of that finalization was the Two-Way addition of former Charlotte Hornets forward, Caleb Martin—who was in hopes of creating a new name for himself after spending his first two years alongside his twin brother, Cody, in one of the nation’s Queen Cities.
Once he received an ample amount of playing time from Heat head coach, Erik Spoelstra, Caleb eventually played his way into earning a standard contract in February. For a player who would become the Energizer Bunny that Miami often needed, let’s review how Martin performed in South Florida this season.
OFFENSIVE GRADE: C+
Before he was converted from a Two-Way deal, Caleb’s first notable performance came in the month of November. It was in this contest that he scored 12 points on 6 of 10 shooting, while also adding five rebounds and three steals in a, 129-103, win over Memphis.
From this moment forward, Martin provided, in small increments, some of what his teammate, Jimmy Butler, could do. That went especially whenever the Heat’s All-Star forward would miss time.
Far from a disappointment offensively, Caleb rather surprised many with a willingness to score from both inside and out. With a primary trait of finishing in the open court, the 26-year-old forward displayed an ability to hit the occasional open jumper as well.
Miami Heat: Grading Caleb Martin’s 2021-22 Season
Caleb Martin played with a sense of confidence and readiness, which earned him key minutes throughout the year. Take this into context as well, speaking towards the Miami Heat’s ability to get the absolute most out of any guy that they bring in.
That goes for undrafted gems or the veteran that they bring in to help further explore their professional tool chest. Although you can consider his an unorthodox shooting release, one where he, sort of, shoots the ball, firmly, at the top of his elevation as opposed to some sore of “on the way up, Martin made 64 of his 155 three-point attempts this seasons.
That’s a, rather impressive, 41 percent as far as efficiency goes.
He would finish the regular season with 28 games scoring in double-digits, including three games where he scored, at least, 20 points for his Heat team.
His best performance of the season came against the Milwaukee Bucks back in December, where Martin compiled 28 points on just 9 of 12 shooting. You also shouldn’t forget this transition throw-down to put away the, then, defending champions.
Caleb said goodnight pic.twitter.com/3gIwPEJlzH
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 9, 2021
This was just one of many thunderous dunks in 2021-22. While more offensive development is soon to come, the next step for Martin is to further improve his ball-handling and become more decisive in half-court settings.
With a full season under his belt, he now has a much greater understanding of where he can improve offensively, as he could likely introduce new layers to his game as soon as next season.
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.