As the Miami Heat saw P.J. Tucker leave for Philly, there was surely a collective sign of deflation amongst the Miami Heat decision makers, coaching staff, and remaining roster. That’s certainly a sentiment that was felt by all those looking in from the outside.
Without time to cry over that spilled milk though, the Miami Heat had to go about the business of replacing Tucker and all he did for their team in his one amazing Miami Heat season. Unfortunately, most of their offseason was spent tied up in the rumor mill, Kevin Durant most seriously, though Donovan Mitchell may have been in play as well.
Without making a move in the offseason or up until this point to fill that void, they will seemingly go with someone along the roster at this point. And by most indications, that guy will be Caleb Martin.
The fact the Heat bypassed signing several established veteran PFs "says a lot to me," Martin said. "I'm flattered. I accept the challenge." https://t.co/C38fF6h1cx
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) September 26, 2022
Beefing up to play the role for the Miami Heat, Martin brings a lot of the same things that P.J. Tucker did to the spot.
The Miami Heat didn’t add a four in the offseason, so they’ll go with a guy on the roster. And of those guys, Caleb Martin has done the most to earn the first crack.
Though a bit undersized, Tucker was too.
Martin isn’t the overall defender that Tucker is yet, but has different tools and all the ones to become what Tucker is if he can reach his peak. Martin’s more vast multipleness on the offensive side of the ball makes him a potentially even more potent player on that side too.
Though he isn’t the shooter yet that Tucker is from range, Martin improve mightily last season and showed a penchant to be able to nail the three-ball in more ways than Tucker did. Now, Tucker was among the very best at what he did from the corner deep area, which is pure excellence, there is a slight difference in what they do.
In closing and for clarity, this isn’t saying that Martin has earned the right to be the Miami Heat’s starting power forward this season. Things still have to play out, anything could happen, and this conversation could become a moot one.
If it does, however, end up being Martin to open the year at the four, this is saying that without a surefire option among those options available to them at the moment and without them having made a move of sorts, Caleb Martin has done the most to earn the first crack at manning the role right now.