Name: Jarell Martin DOB: 5/24/1994 (21 in May) School: Louisiana State
Height: 6’10 Weight: 235 Projected Position: PF
2014-15 Stats:
16.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.2 spg, 2.8 tpg (35.1 minutes per game)
50.9 FG%, 69.0 FT%, 26.9 3FG%, 56.5 TS%, 52.6 eFG%
24.8 USG%, 9.7 ORB%, 18.1 DREB%, 14.1 TRB%
SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN
Offense
Post Offense
Martin is an above-average low post player with good hands and footwork, showing the ability to play with his back to the basket, or face up out of the low post. Though he has a big body, he prefers to use his speed and athleticism rather than power to get to the basket. Martin does a good job using his lower body to establish position and seal the defender, and setting a good target with his hands for the entry pass. He is comfortable going over either shoulder, but he is not very good at finishing with his left hand around the basket, so he will try to bring the ball back to his right, or use a quick spin move to get off a shot. When facing up out of the post, Martin is able to use his short/mid-range jumper well, as well as being able to drive by defenders. He can have some trouble with longer, disciplined defenders, but he is very good at drawing contact around the basket. Martin is a good perimeter screener, and he’s a good scoring threat in pick-and-roll situations, opening up quickly to the ball and getting to open spots opposite the ballhandler. He sees the floor well and is becoming an improved passer out of the high and low post, though he can force passes across the defense, and he needs to sense double teams quicker.
Ballhandling/Penetration
Martin is an above-average ballhandler for his size, and is capable of using either hand well over short-to-medium distances. Martin has shown that he can make a move to the basket when he gets the ball within 10-15 feet of the basket, though he makes a much stronger move when going to his right. When going to the basket, Martin uses his body well to shield defenders from the ball, and is capable of finishing strong at the basket. On the left side, Martin likes to drive along the baseline, and on the right, he likes to drive towards the lane; both are to his left hand, though he isn’t a great finisher with his left, and usually has to bring the ball back to his right, or he’ll make a spin move. Martin needs to do a better job keeping his head up when heading to the basket and sensing where the help defenders are coming from. Also, he needs to work on keeping his dribble closer to his body, as he can let the ball get away from him. Martin can also be a bit wild when he covers a lot of ground with his dribble, and needs to work on his body control.
Perimeter Offense
Martin has improved as a spot shooter on the perimeter, though he is a lot more consistent in the mid-range than behind the arc. He does a good job getting square to the basket, and gets into his motion quickly, but his release can be a bit low, especially when he senses defenders closing. Martin is an option in pick-and-pop situations, with his quick movement to open spots to shoot. For his size, he does a good job using shot fakes and a couple of dribbles to create more space if needed, though he can be a bit wild off the dribble, never fully getting square to the basket, and drifting away from the basket. Shot selection needs to improve, though he was often counted on to try and make things happen on offense. Martin needs to watch rushing his jumper, especially when he senses a defender closing. He will quicken his motion and often ends up releasing the ball lower than normal. Martin understands floor spacing well, and he is very good at sensing gaps in the defense and making good cuts to the rim area.
Free Throw Shooting
Martin is a below-average free throw shooter, and a hesitation in his motion before his release is likely the problem. He has a consistent routine, and his motion is smooth until right before his release. Because he isn’t getting the full lift from his legs, a lot of his shots come off flat, or hit the rim short, but it’s an easily fixable problem. Martin does get to the free throw line a lot, more than one attempt for every two field goal attempts, and he does it in a variety of ways, though his activity on the offensive glass does help him draw a lot of contact.
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Defense
Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)
Martin can be a good on-ball perimeter defender for his size, and he has plenty of room to improve. He positions himself well between his man and the basket, tries to gets low, and keeps his hands active. His lateral movement is average over short distances, though his reaction time to movements can be quicker, and he can have a tendency to play on his heels when defending away from the basket. Martin does a good job closing on perimeter shooters, and he has the ability to cover a big distance quickly. Off the ball, Martin positions himself well and he uses his length well to play passing lanes, or to poke at the ball as a player drives near him. His length does allow him to give some room out on the perimeter and still be able to challenge shots well, but positioning will be important against better ballhandlers and shooters.
Post Defense/Help Defense
Martin has potential as a post defender, having a big body, long arms, and decent strength for his age. He does a good job positioning himself between his man and the basket, but his footwork needs to improve when defending against both back-to-the-basket and face-up post moves. Martin uses his length well to try and deny post-entry passes, and he also likes to poke at the ball when his man does receive the pass in the post. Martin needs to work on using his lower body better to try and force his man away from the basket, as well as anchoring his spot and not letting his man dictate the movements. Martin has average defensive awareness and he has the tools to be a good help defender around the basket. He has the potential to be a good shot-blocker, and he probably would have had more chances if he didn’t play alongside one of the nation’s best in Jordan Mickey. He has good timing, and does a good job extending straight up to go after shots; he just needs to work more on getting into help position quicker. In pick-and-roll situations, Martin hedges well out on the ballhandler, though he can be slow sometimes in getting out there. Martin can also be slow to recover once his teammate has gotten back to guarding the ballhandler.
Rebounding
Martin does a very good job tracking missed shots on the defensive end and getting into position to grab the rebound. He should be better at using his body to box out opponents, but once he has position, he extends well and goes strong after the ball. Being paired with another big rebounder in Jordan Mickey took away some chances, but Martin still finished with over nine rebounds per game. As on defense, Martin can be a problem for opposing teams on the offensive boards. He can be quick to get position around the basket, and he uses his length and quick leaping ability to grab missed shots, or at least keep them alive. Martin is also very good at rebounding his own misses quickly and getting up a quick second, or sometimes third, shot.
Transition
Martin runs the floor very well for his size, with the ability to make a line for the basket, and finish in spectacular fashion. He also has the ability to take the ball off the dribble, if given some space, and in rare cases, he can push the ball himself, though this is only recommended if he has no one in front of us. Martin has good acceleration in the open floor, and he had one of college basketball’s signature moments of the season when he did a through-the-legs dunk on the fast break against Florida.
Intangibles/Summary
With Johnny O’Bryant off to the NBA, Martin did a very good job stepping up as a sophomore, especially as a go-to scoring option for the Tigers. He is a versatile offensive weapon, with the size to play in the post, and the skill and athleticism to play on the perimeter, though he still needs to become more consistent with his jumper. Martin runs the floor very well for his size, and he can be a very strong scorer in transition. Defensively, Martin is far from a polished player, but with his length and speed, he has the potential to be an above-average defender at the next level. He can be more aggressive on the defensive glass, especially when you see how he attacks the offensive glass, but he is still a high-level rebounder overall. Once Martin adds some more strength to go with his good frame and athleticism, his versatile skills may have a chance to shine more. His improvement over a season was noticeable, and by all accounts, he is a very coachable player.
Draft Value: Mid 1st Round – #15-23
Martin’s size, athleticism, and skill will all be attractive to NBA teams and his ability to play well in transition or the half-court will allow him to have a chance in different systems. He is far from a finished product, though in the right situation, he has the ability to be an NBA rotation player fairly quickly, but he would also learn a lot from taking some time to watch and learn from the NBA game. Long-term, I see no reason why Martin can’t be a starter at the NBA level.
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