by: Mike Rice

When they coined the phrase, “He is a work in progress,” I don’t believe they had Martell Webster in mind, but the phrase could really fit Martell more than any other Blazer.

Martell has always had great potential wherever he played. In 2004, he was a junior at Seattle Prep High School and was picked one of the top-eight juniors in the country by USA Today. Martell committed to the University of Washington that year and thought that would be his home for the next four years playing alongside Brandon Roy.

Martell had missed most of the 2003-04 season to injury. He thought the 2004-2005 season, where he averaged 28 ppg, 10 rebounds and two assists, was a great start to lead to his next step: the University of Washington. But, sometimes things change for certain high school players who play well in all-star games at the end of their senior year.

Martell in the Nike Hoop Summit playing against top international competition scored 21 points on 9 of 14 shooting and helped the USA defeat the World Select Team, 106 to 98. That opened a lot of pro scouts eyes to what kind of shooter Martell was. Then, with a full house of pro scouts watching, Martell scored 16 points in the Michael Jordan Classic. Three all-star games and Martell starred in each one. That started the debate of whether Webster should skip college and go right into the NBA. He had an NBA body at 6’7” and 235 lbs. and NBA range on his jump shot. I guess we all know the answer to what Martell did. He became the #6 pick of the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft at the age of 18 years old.

The question now becomes did Martell do the right thing to become a quality player in the NBA back in 2005? Martell’s rookie season of 2005-06 saw him average 6.6 points and two rebounds in 17 minutes per game. Martell had some big nights his rookie year netting 23 points against Utah and a career high 24 points against Boston in February. But, what people also remember from that year was Webster’s trip to the Ft. Worth team in the Development League. He went down to Texas for just a little over two weeks in mid-January and averaged 25 minutes a game and 11 ppg in the eight games he played for D-League club. Portland head coach Nate McMillan has always said that too much of Martell’s success or lack of it depends on whether his shots are going in.

Last year in the 2006-07 season Martell averaged seven points and three rebounds in 21 minutes a game. Martell made four 3-pointers in five different games and was the Blazers #1 three-point shooter, making 91 on the year.

Once again the main concern about Martell’s game was his consistency on a night-to-night basis. When the shot was not going in, he put his head down and it affected the rest of his game. His rebounding and defense also suffered when the shots were not dropping.

The question now at age 21, still two years younger than Brandon Roy, is Martell in his third year in the NBA ready to take the next step to help the Blazers win games every night?

When I asked Roy, McMillan and Joel Przybilla if Martell had a different mindset so far this year, they all had strong opinions about Martell. Brandon said Martell took a different route to the NBA than he did.

“I played four years in college and he came right out of high school,” said Roy. “You can’t say one is right or wrong. Every person handles pressure differently in the NBA. Martell had a lot of pressure at a young age and still has improved to the point of working for a starting position at age 21. I tell him all the time now that he must perform every night, even the nights your shot is not going in.”

McMillan also is of the opinion that up to this year Martell’s work on the rebounding and defensive end depended on if his shot was falling on the offensive end. “He must show the coaching staff that his help to this team is just not the night’s he shoots 50 percent,” added McMillan.

Speaking of shooting 50 percent. Martell was shooting 63 percent from inside the three-point line and 61 percent from three-point range in the first three games of the 2007-08 preseason. He worked his way into the starting line up against Sacramento in game four by his consistent play. When I asked Nate if this was a new more confident Martell, he took a wait and see position.

“It’s too early to proclaim him a finished product,” said McMillan of Webster’s preseason play. “He has not had a bad shooting night yet. When that happens we will see if we have a new Martell by looking at what he does in other areas, like defense and rebounding that night.”

After hearing all this talk about Martell playing consistent night in and night out, I asked him how he looked at himself now compared to his first year in the NBA?

“The main thing I have going for me now and back when I was 18 going into the NBA is Nate McMillan’s confidence,” said Webster. “I can’t always say I had confidence in myself 100 percent, but Nate always gave me the green light to play my game. Nate said, ‘You’re going to make mistakes at age 18, but you must improve your game so in your third year you eliminate those mistakes and help us win games.’ I think I have done that. I am more receptive to the coaches now. I understand what they are telling me. I made mistakes at 18 that I am not making now. I want this team to go to the playoffs and for the first time I can really help on both ends of the court to do that.”

When I asked Przybilla whether Martell has changed this year, he said his maturity level is off the charts compared to his first two years.

“Everybody needs time to mature when you play in the NBA,” said Przybilla. “Martell was going through that at age 18. In the NBA, players quickly find out your problem areas and if you don’t improve on those areas, you die in the NBA. Martell works hard and he is winning the mental battle of playing well in the NBA. I told Martell I played with Michael Redd and Ray Allen and when they missed a shot they could not wait to take their next shot because they knew it was going in. Martell is starting to think that way.”

Martel is really enjoying this year with this team. I have been following the Blazers for 18 years and I agree with Martell that this team gets along as well as the Terry Porter, Buck Williams and Clyde Drexler teams.

Martell says the Blazers are a funny team.

“We seem to be laughing all the time at something,” said Webster. “How can you not stay relaxed in that atmosphere? It’s helping my game and I want to show everyone that picking me #6 in 2005 was a solid move for the Portland Trail Blazers.”