Alright, I’m going to level with everyone. I was not a fan of Kelan Martin last season. There I’ve said it. Every time I watched Kelan Martin on the court I was unimpressed with his play and even at times questioned myself as to why he was even on the roster. I do understand he finished the year playing well, but my opinion of Martin had already soured.
Today, I might actually have been converted over to the side of Kelan Martin. Since returning from a hamstring injury, Martin has been one of the more impressive bench options for the Indiana Pacers. In his first seven games, Martin has averaged 7.3 points while shooting 50 percent from three-point range and posting a True Shooting percentage of 60 percent. Martin has easily been one of the most efficient scorers off the bench this season for the Blue and Gold.
Kelan Martin has been one of the better players off the bench for the Indiana Pacers this season.
Martin’s play so far this season has made my opinion of him do a 180. Martin has been scoring with impressive efficiency from three-point land for a team that shoots 35 percent from three( that lands them at number 13 in the league). The confidence we have seen from Martin has been night and day from last season. Quinn Buckner even said in last night’s broadcast that this is the most confident he has seen Martin in the last 12 months. Martin has also scored in double figures the last two games.
Martin’s play has seen him in fourth-quarter lineups for the Pacers. The fact that we are seeing Martin help close out games is a testament to how well he is playing and the confidence he has been playing with. It seems that Rick Carlisle and the coaching staff have really figured out a way to utilize the Louisville native’s ability on the court.
Am I happy that my opinion of Martin has done a full turnaround? Absolutely. I never want to be down on a Pacers player and Kelan Martin’s play this season has turned me into a convert. I just really hope this level of play continues throughout the season and Martin continues to shoot at this high efficiency.