Arriving almost a year ago as part of the trade that sent James Harden to the Clippers, Kenyon Martin managed to make his mark in Philadelphia, to the point of being extended this summer.
To continue his progress, Kenyon Martin's son logically decided to improve his 3-point skill, on the advice of Nick Nurse. It is in fact one of the weapons he masters the least, with less than two attempts per match on average in his career for a very average success percentage of 33.7%…
Suffice to say that there was room to do better, and the winger therefore got to work this summer. Beyond the repetition of the gesture, mastering the 3-point address also requires having a strong mind. On this point, Kenyon Martin Jr. arrives in great shape after having had almost a year to get his bearings.
“I feel much more comfortable”, he declared on his integration into the Sixers. “Of course, I was here most of last season and this summer, but being able to work with the staff, and train for three weeks, working with my own shooting coach in Los Angeles, that makes me feel good more comfortable to start this training camp.”
Trust at work
At the time of finding the light, Kenyon Martin Jr. also wants to be ambitious. His goal? Tickle the 40% address mark behind the arc. A daring bet which also demonstrates his level of confidence.
“As I said, I was able to work with my shooting coach this summer, so my goal is going to be to get my 3-point percentage as close to 40% as possible”he added from Nassau, Bahamas, where Philly began its training camp. “It’s one of my goals, that’s clear. I've worked on this so much that it's something I know I can do. Then, defensively, I just have to be a threat, be in the best physical shape possible to be able to defend in several positions. But the most important thing is victory. I believe that if we win, everything will be back to normal.”
The first matches of the Sixers will quickly allow us to realize its evolution in this area. The former Rockets player also mentioned the competition from Caleb Martin and Kelly Oubre Jr, who helped him continue his rise, and will offer Philadelphia appreciable bench depth.
“The staff knows the work I put in this summer, so they believe in me while knowing that I can also help with all the little things on defense, especially having guys like Caleb and Kelly, who are my size and can switch and be physical. So it's been a great camp overall so far.”he concluded.
| KJ Martin | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2020-21 | HOU | 45 | 24 | 50.9 | 36.5 | 71.4 | 1.6 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 9.3 |
| 2021-22 | HOU | 79 | 21 | 53.3 | 35.7 | 63.4 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 8.8 |
| 2022-23 | HOU | 82 | 28 | 56.9 | 31.5 | 68.0 | 1.5 | 4.0 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 12.7 |
| 2023-24 * | All Teams | 60 | 12 | 53.6 | 28.6 | 53.7 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 3.7 |
| 2023-24 * | PHL | 58 | 12 | 54.4 | 30.4 | 53.8 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 3.7 |
| 2023-24 * | LAKE | 2 | 16 | 40.0 | 20.0 | 50.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 5.0 |
| Total | 266 | 22 | 54.4 | 33.7 | 66.2 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 8.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
