Though Cartier Martin didnt explode for a big performances like Alade Aminu did, he was solid all weekend and helped his team win both of their gamesearning himself a call-up to the Golden State Warriors along the way. One of the top forwards in the D-League, Martin appears to have rounded back into form after returning to the Energy following a brief stint in Italy. Shooting the ball extremely well in his teams first win, Martin had one of the stronger performances of day two and showed well again in day four.
Aggressively attacking the rim, Martin was very effective from the get go, scoring 12 points in his first frame in Boise and hitting all five of the free throws he created. A major threat to make shots from deep, Martin shows a solid first step, and never hesitated to initiate contact on his way to the rim. With his dribble drive established, Martin proceeded to knock down a catch and shoot three in transition, a spinning fade-away jumper from 18-feet, and a leaner in the lane after beating his man in a called isolation. In the second half, Martin played a total of six minutes, drawing a charge and getting to the line as the first man down the floor in transition. A solid athlete with a good understanding of Iowas half court sets, Martin looked extremely comfortable scoring today on his way to 18 points in his 21 minutes.
In the second game, Martin wasnt nearly as productive, as a scrappy Bakersfield team nearly ousted the Energy, who currently own the best record in the D-League. A coachable player who is willing to put his body on the line, Martin still scored 17 points, but only shot 7-17 from the field. Despite the sub-par shooting performance, he still showed a high energy level on the defensive end. Hes not a shut down defender, but he plays within the team concept, shows active hands, and will put himself in harms way to draw charges. Couple those attributes with his offensively ability and tenure with the Bobcats last season, and its very obvious why Golden State opted to give him a 10-day contract as soon as Anthony Randolph went down with an injury.
Comments