Curious, intense and adaptive are what make Cody Martin a great find for the Hornets
The teammate screwing around at the end of a Nevada shootaround — chucking up a crazy shot and disrupting Cody Martin’s game-day preparations — had no idea the line he crossed.
“Within about 2 1/2 minutes, we almost had a brawl,” recalled Eric Musselman of Martin’s intensity, which that day reminded him of a Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan.
Martin is wired differently, and that’s a good thing for the Charlotte Hornets. A third of the way into his rookie season, Martin is establishing himself as the Hornets’ defensive stopper. The numbers illustrate: When Martin is on the court, the Hornets allow about nine fewer points per 100 possessions than when he’s off the court.
Coach James Borrego has noticed Martin’s impact and adjusted. Martin has averaged 23 minutes in the past seven games and is typically the first reserve off the bench. Borrego describes Martin as “curious” — as in probing for the “why” behind strategies to gain a better understanding of his role and how to improve.
When the Hornets drafted Martin 36th overall, some fans questioned why he was worth a pick early in the second round. There was even speculation the Hornets chose the wrong Martin (twin brother Caleb, the more natural scorer, signed with the Hornets after going undrafted).
General manager Mitch Kupchak knew what he was getting: A multi-position player at 6-foot-7 with strong passing skills, but first a defender. A meticulous student of scorers’ tendencies. A disruptor each game.
“Every time I would say something to Cody, he would always ask a question about the guy he was guarding., like ‘Does the guy ever go left? I keep seeing him go right,’ ” said Musselman, a former NBA coach now in his first season at Arkansas. “Even at the pro level, I hadn’t been around a guy who didn’t have time for game-day small talk.
“If you give him a scouting report, he will read every detail. If you send him 20 video clips after a game, he’s going to come back with 20 questions. Other guys, you can send them 20 video clips, and they never respond.”
Anticipation
It’s common to hear of Martin’s “defensive IQ” — it’s a term Borrego and power forward Marvin Williams throw around a lot in describing his quick impact.
What exactly does that mean?
“So much of defense is anticipation. If you’re trying to catch up, when the action is happening, you’ll probably be too late in today’s NBA,” Borrego said. “What Cody has is this ability to understand what is about to happen before it happens. He understands what the man he is guarding, what he’s going to do. Just a tremendous feel.
“He’s a tough kid, and he’s got length, he’s got size, he’s got timing. He’s got physicality. Those are all traits that we need in our defense.”
Defense is the Hornets’ top focus this season. When Borrego wasn’t getting what he expected, he shook up the rotation: Starting Bismack Biyombo at center, giving Michael Kidd-Gilchrist playing time and featuring Martin off the bench.
Martin, who grew up in Mocksville and started his college career at N.C. State, doesn’t think he has all this aced, but he feels he belongs.
“I would say my anticipation is a big thing: I can kind of see things happening before they come,” Martin said. “Obviously, I’m adjusting because these guys are really, really good — you’re guarding the best in the world. Some of these offensive players see that anticipation (and adjust) and that’s what makes them elite, too.
“It’s always about working at the craft: Trying to see what they see first. Then, figure out how to one-up that.”
Borrego appreciates Martin’s competitive spirit and the care he brings to tasks. As Borrego put it, whether Martin is guarding an NBA All-Star or a player just up from the G-League, he brings an intensity each game that is infectious to teammates.
Adaptive
When the Martin twins decided to transfer, Caleb was more in demand because of his scoring skills. Musselman, who previously coached the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, told his Nevada assistants it was crucial they impress on Cody he was just as important an addition.
He proved to be more important when point guard Lindsey Drew tore his Achilles tendon midway through the Martin twins’ first season in Reno. At halftime of a game against Boise State, Cody was switched from power forward to point guard. Within a week or two, he was so effective the coaches thought they had a shot at the Final Four.
“People thought our season was over. We’ve had versatile players before, but this was different: I think he scored 30 the very next game,” said Musselman, whose team went 29-8 and reached the Sweet 16.
“We had him guard whoever the best player was 1 (point guard) through 5 (center) every night for two years. ...There’s nothing he’s doing in the NBA that surprises me.”
Musselman brought complex NBA schemes to Reno and wouldn’t compromise. They never played zone defense, and Cody continued taking the toughest defensive assignment through the switch to point guard.
Those experiences all translate now.
“The biggest thing for Muss was paying attention to detail and know what you’re doing,” Martin said. “He’d say, ‘That’s what makes pros pros.’ ”
Sure looks that way now.
