The Emergence of Kevin Martin

Not so long ago the nickname "Kmart" referred to an overpaid, rim-rattling power forward who was the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. Sadly, his season ended with microfracture surgery on his right knee.

Enter a new Kmart.

Kevin Martin ("Kmart2", to distinguish him from Kenyon Martin) of the Sacramento Kings has emerged this year as the team's primary offensive scoring threat. His averages of 21.9 pts, 4.3 rebs, 1.8 asts, 1.4 stls, 1.8 3ptm while shooting 52.4% from the field (at 13.7 attempts per game) and 90% from the free throw line (at 6.5 attempts per game) are truly breathtaking. This is amazing when taking into context his last two seasons in the league, where he was contributing only marginally off the bench.

The most surprising part of all this sudden improvement was that it was so... sudden. Martin was typically taken at the 8th to 11th round in fantasy leagues, and has obviously turned out to be one of the biggest steals of the year. I've been fortunate enough to grab him in three of my leagues and i must say he's performing better than some of the more established names in the business (like Peja Stojakovic, or his more established teammates mike bibby and ron artest, to name a few).

There is one thing worth noting though. The Kings got off to a rocky start as injuries saddled two of its main men, Mike Bibby and Brad Miller. As a result, Martin was thrust into a bigger offensive role and has taken the burden wonderfully. Miller has now returned but is still not his old self, and Bibby is still dealing with a wrist injury which limits his performance.

Given his draft position and current performance, fantasy owners are often faced with a dilemma with Kmart2. On the one hand, his excellent contributions across the board (not to mention his sparkling percentages) allow his owner to trade him for a more established, better proven name in fantasy basketball. In other words, he can be an example of a "sell high" player. After all, he's unproven thus far and his fantasy value may plummet down anytime. Thus, you want to get a proven contributor to be safe. On the other hand, he helps you in so many categories that one is hesitant to let go of him. Riding his hot hand seems to help you in so many ways that you it's hard to find a better player than him. The question boils down to: "Can he keep it up?"

Personally, I think it's a little of both. There's no way Martin will shoot 52% from the field all year. He takes a significant amount of jump shots and threes, and the law of averages will catch up to him. However, I don't see his numbers dropping off that much. The Kings are not exactly playing their best ball right now, but it's not because of Kmart2. In fact, they need his offense to win, and they will continue to give him the minutes to help the team. The opportunity is there and no one will take it away from him. Also, watching him play is a thing to behold. his graceful moves and fearless drives to the basket showcase his awesome talent and one can say that he has the tools to make it big in the NBA. He is not taking of his teammates misfortunes but rather he's earned his opportunity because of his talent.

My recommendation is to keep him and enjoy the ride. I believe Kmart2 is a legit fantasy stud who can help your team immensely. He is, in other words, for real.

Opinions, alternate views and objections are of course welcome. Don't hesitate to post your comments.