When it came to playing smarter, rookie Cody Martin was at the top of Hornets class
Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego said he challenged his team to play “smarter” in order to beat the Houston Rockets.
I’d argue no Hornet played smarter Saturday than rookie Cody Martin.
When a guy shoots 1 of 6 and still plays 30 minutes, he must be doing something else brilliantly well. For Martin, a second-round pick out of Nevada, his brilliance was guarding James Harden without it becoming a disaster, while also totaling a career-best nine assists.
Harden is a superstar, as evidenced by his 30 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds. However, Harden also committed 10 turnovers. The 22-41 Hornets never trailed in what had to be their most impressive home victory of the season. They don’t win this game if Martin and teammate Miles Bridges weren’t so disciplined in guarding Harden.
While Harden takes an abundance of 3s, he is most dangerous piling up free-throw attempts with his ability to drive the ball in stop-and-start fashion. He gets defenders zigzagging until, in desperation, you reach and the referee blows his whistle.
Harden earned nine free throws in the first half, but only six in the second half. By no means did the Hornets stop him, but they contained him sufficiently that the Hornets’ lead never slipped below seven in the fourth quarter.
Box-and-one
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni described Charlotte’s defense as “kind of a box-and-one.” That meant one Hornet — either Bridges or Martin — was with Harden continuously, while the other four Hornets zoned up, so that if Harden lost his primary defender, there was always someone to intercept him in the lane and, hopefully, force a pass-out.
It was Martin who got the primary assignment in the fourth quarter, logging eight minutes to Bridges’ four. What had Borrego so confident a rookie was up to this? The minutes Martin played in a 15-point loss in Houston in early February.
“He’s learning. He’s a sponge,” Borrego said. “He’s getting better.”
Teammate Terry Rozier said he respects how Martin and his brother, Caleb, aren’t sheepish about speaking up, whether it be asking questions or interacting as peers with veterans.
That has accelerated Martin’s development such that Borrego has played him 22 or more minutes in seven consecutive games.
“Being like a sponge,” Martin said, invoking that buzzword. “I know my job when I go out there — to play hard and play defense. Then, obviously, make plays when I can. The offense will come, but that’s not my main focus.”
Facilitator
The offense is coming, too. Martin might never be a prolific NBA scorer, but the Hornets were attracted to his facilitating. At Nevada two seasons ago, the Wolfpack lost its point guard to a midseason injury. Coach Eric Musselman moved Martin from power forward to point guard and he did stunningly well.
Martin might never play point guard at the NBA level, but secondary ball-movers — guys at the wing positions who make good decisions and find open cutters — are essential.
In Charlotte’s last two games, Martin has reset his personal best for assists. He had seven against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, followed by nine Saturday. That included a spectacular one-handed pass across the lane to fellow rookie Jalen McDaniels for a dunk.
“If he continues down this path, we have another major playmaker with us,” Borrego said. “I was on his tail; he had nine assists, and his crazy coach was on him about one turnover.”
Martin is fine with being coached hard. He said correction is what got him to where he can contribute as a rookie.
“A lot of it is film,” Martin concluded. “You watch, you figure out what reads work, and you adjust.”
He’s adjusting himself right into a decade-long NBA career.
This story was originally published March 7, 2020 at 9:35 PM.
