Ailene Voisin: This kid looks like wily veteran

[#4 Mr.Time Out]

새크라멘토 킹스의 키드인 마틴이 오늘경기에서 인상적인 경기를 펼쳤다는 색비의 글입니다. 신인 드래프트 후 정말 킹스에서 뛰고 싶다고 밝혀온 마틴...

오늘 경기에서 보여준 활약은 비단 한경기의 활약이라고 치부하기엔 너무 좋은 활약이 많았네요. 우선 킹스가 그토록 필요로 하던 허슬플레이어의모습을 보여주었습니다.(댈러스의 조쉬하워드가 생각날정도로요)

수비도 제 2의 크리스티라도 불리는것만큼 참 잘하더군요. 웨이트 부족으로 인하여 약간 문제를 일으킬꺼라고도 생각했었는데 아닌가 봅니다(아직까지는요)

2쿼터에 보여준 공중에서 떠 있는 느낌의 투핸드 덩크나 베리의 가랑이 밑으로 집어넣는 비하인드 빽패스까지 .. 데일리 탑 10에 두개나 올라버렸네요^^;

"베리가 나한테 말했다. 내 가지랭이 밑으로 공을 집어넣어 볼래?라고 말이죠" 라고 인터뷰한 당당한 신인.. 인터뷰 하는것도 귀엽네요^^

The rookie, the kid.

The one who resembles Doug Christie

The skinny little dude - and at 6-foot-7, 185 pounds, Kevin Martin has yet to reach the lanky stage - nonetheless rocked the house Sunday night, sent a double shot of espresso coursing through the aisles. Once would have been enough, truly it would have been. But before it was over, and the Kings had reclaimed a smidge of that Arco Arena Advantage with an impressive victory over the San Antonio Spurs, the first-year guard from Western Carolina provided the play of the game ... and then provided another play of the game.

He gave an encore performance before taking a final bow, leaving those who edit the television highlights with a vicious decision - namely, which play to feature in a limited amount of time? The dunk that left the Kings jumping and laughing and high-fiving on the sidelines, or the gift-wrapped pass that went behind his back, between the legs of the Spurs' Brent Barry, before finally resulting in a reverse layup by Darius Songaila?

"(Barry) asked me, 'Did you intend to throw the ball between my legs like that?' "

Martin related afterward, laughing. "I told him no. I just tried to throw the ball out there. Let's just call this beginner's luck. I didn't know any better. Usually I'm on the receiving end of those kind of passes."

No, usually, Martin is on the bench. Through no fault of his own, he just happened to be drafted by a team with a veteran backcourt of Mike Bibby, Doug Christie, Bobby Jackson. Until Jackson's wrist injury forced Kings coach Rick Adelman to take a longer look down his bench, Martin suspected this was going to be one of those learn-by-the-seat-of-the-pants seasons, in which he studies the playbook and exhausts himself physically during practices.

But this is a new year, if not a new backcourt. On New Year's Eve in Salt Lake City, Martin was solid for most of his 19 minutes, thus earning himself another shot at the powerful Spurs. In his most extensive outing of the year, he scored nine points, grabbed six rebounds, added an assist and a steal in 22 minutes and, in essence, gave the Kings a different look with his athleticism, quickness, explosiveness and healthful dose of youthful exhuberance.

"I call Kevin an 'affectionate hotshot,' " said assistant Pete Carril, "because he's got some loose ends to his game. He needs to work on a few things, like his ballhandling. But he has a chance to be a very good player if he keeps working."

And that pass?

"That's something I didn't teach him," cracked Carril.

And that dunk?

"I didn't teach him that, either."

There were early hints that this was going to be a special night, both for Martin and the Kings. In contrast to the most recent home games, the Kings were frisky and engaged from the start. Chris Webber moved the ball and badgered Tim Duncan.

Peja Stojakovic ran the floor, attacked the boards, stroked his threes in rhythm. Mike Bibby exploited his fleet defenders with those hestitation dribble moves of his.

Maurice Evans contributed solid defense.

And Martin put the Kings ahead in the second quarter with a nifty post-up move on the right side.

Then there was the dunk.

Then there was the pass.

In the waning seconds of the half, Martin, 21, dribbled around a high screen on the right elbow from Webber, and before the Spurs caught onto his act, split two defenders and went up for a two-handed stuff that left the rim rattling. "The lane was wide open," he said later. "I just saw the opening and went."

Later, with 8:32 remaining in a tight game between two old familiar foes, Martin caught everyone by surprise. His teammates. His coaches. His opponents. Himself. This time, he held the ball on the left of the foul line, and as Songaila cut toward the basket, the youngster cupped the ball in his right hand, whipped it behind his back and aimed a perfect one-bounce toss that went between Barry's legs.

The place went crazy, Arco buzzing like the old days. The reserves leaped off the bench. The starters walked over to Martin, wide grins splitting their features. The crowd was on its feet. During the ensuing timeout, Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof stood at his courtside seat, imitating the wraparound pass for a companion seated at his side.

"I couldn't even imagine throwing a pass like that," he said later. "That was unbelievable."

Over and over, the sequence was replayed on the overhead scoreboard, the fans gasping and applauding.

Martin, he just smiled.

폼도 크리스티하고 약간 비슷..;;

[Clutch Bibby]

정말 킹스도 스퍼스못지않게 하위픽의 선수들을 잘뽑아서 잘쓰네요...(송가일라, 마틴) 이제 아델만감독은 2경기를 통해서 마틴의 출장시간을 더욱 늘려야겠다는걸 알았을겁니다. 이제 바비가 복귀할때쯤이면 킹스의 벤치멤버는 바비-마틴-송가일라-오스터텍이라는 꿇리지 않는 라인업을 갖추겠군요. 너무 기대되는 선수...

[dahreal3pointah]

바네스, 에반스도 추가여~!! 근데 데니엘스는.....

[레드보이스]

솔직히 마틴, 바네스, 에반스, 다니엘스 다 딴팀이었으면 팀에서 키워주는 유망주일텐데 킹스라서 이러는거죠. 현재 분위기론 에반스는 확실히 키울거 같고 바네스와 마틴 중에 1명정도 키워줄거 같네요.