How the discredited Caleb Martin became a mainstay for Miami in the NBA Finals

At 27, Caleb Martin is one of the Miami Heat players who were not drafted and threatens Nikola Jokic’s favoritism with the Nuggets

The NBA Finals between denver nuggets It is miami heat accumulate stories beyond the championship ring dispute. And they range from previous clashes between team players to athletes who almost didn’t enter the main basketball league in the world, as is the case with the center forward. caleb martin.

Martin is one of the mainstays of the Miami Heat’s offensive game these days. The player won the undisputed title this season, but it was a laborious process to get where he is. That’s because the player was not drafted and still went through the G-League (the NBA’s minor league), before winning a spot in the charlotte hornetspractically without contract guarantees.

After two seasons, Caleb Martin was released from the Hornets and got a second chance with the Miami Heat roster, having to start practically from scratch.

The Miami Heat is not an “underdog” (that discredited team that seeks to prove itself), by chance. It has a roster full of undrafted players. But it was Caleb Martin who stood out in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. That’s because the 27-year-old averaged 19.3 points and, in one of the games, scored 26 points, the career record of the athlete in the playoffs. Not to mention the brilliant performance in game 7, with accurate 3 balls.

“I reflect a lot on where I started and the journey I took to get here. Even last year, Caleb Martin said at a press conference after Game 7 between the Heat and the Celtics. “It’s a bit of a strange feeling because I also understand that as happy as I am, and grateful to be here, I also understand that we have more games to go. The job is not done. We haven’t gone through what we went through the entire regular season and my personal journey to losing in the finals.”he concluded.

In addition to Caleb Martin, other players on the Miami Heat roster also did not enter the NBA via Draft: the veteran Udonis Haslemin addition to holders Gabe Vincent It is Max Strus. Duncan Robinson, another key player in the squad, also entered the league without coming straight from university. A much more difficult path for those who seek to be among the best.

But this is not by chance. The Miami Heat has been proving to be an excellent program for rebuilding discredited athletes. And Caleb Martin proved to be the greatest example. The athlete was one vote away from being the MVP of the East Finals, given to the Jimmy Butler. That, after making 11 of 16 shots, with his 26 in Game 7.

Caleb Martin in action for the Miamia Heat (Credit: GettyImages)

“That might have surprised you, but for us he’s a great player, a great defender, playmaker, shooter, all of that.” Jimmy Butler revealed at a press conference.

Ranking 8th, the Miami Heat saw Caleb Martin as one of the key players in the playoffs. He put in solid performances in the series against Milwaukee Bucks and against the New York Knicks, with an average of 10.8 points, with 53% of the shots being correct. And, against the Celtics, he saw his numbers-and timing-shoot.

Caleb Martin’s contract with the Miami Heat is not, by far, one of the main ones on the team. He signed for $20 million over 3 years and now he is one of the main hopes alongside Jimmy Butler to overcome Nikola Jokic and the beefy Denver Nuggets roster in the NBA Finals.

You can follow Caleb Martin and the Miami Heat, against the Denver Nuggets, in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, starting at 9 pm (Brasília time) this Sunday (4), on ESPN 2 and Star+.


Source: sportbuzz

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