The Philadelphia 76ers have expectedly been a mixed bag to begin the season. Down two All-Stars, one of which is undeniably their best player, the club has won just one out of three contests so far, though no one would pencil them in as a disappointment given the early incursion of the injury bug.
One player who has helped the team stay afloat is Caleb Martin, a new face in Philly who came over in free agency thanks to some serendipity in the franchise’s favor. After passing up on a lucrative extension with the Heat, the market turned out to be quite stale for him, leading him to sign with the 76ers.
Caleb Martin already looks like the steal of the offseason with hot start for the 76ers
Over the first three games, Martin has registered 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per outing, playing a hefty serving of minutes at 36 a game. Nick Nurse has clearly trusted him rapidly, opting to elevate him to the starting unit in just his second game as a Sixer after initially coming off the bench.
Martin has been as versatile as advertised. What he lacks in height, he makes up for with intangibles on both ends. While his three-point shot has been wanting so far (currently at a 14.3 percent conversion rate), he’s been pretty impressive on the defensive end as a switchable stopper, and as a connector on offense.
The 29-year-old will likely see his minutes wane when Paul George returns to the hardwood, but there’s little reason to doubt his capacity as a nightly rotation cog for Nurse and the coaching staff. Barring injuries, he’s likely to remain a key part of the team’s attack this season.
The best thing with Martin so far is his sheer adaptability and versatility. Thus, he should have no problem being the team’s resident gap-filler, starting games when needed, and coming off the bench to bolster the second unit.
Heck, even if his numbers normalize to what they were when he was in Miami, the 76ers will be more than happy to take them. You can bet on his relatively meager contract aging like fine wine down the road.