Breaking Down Kevin Martin's 2012-13 Shot Chart
The Wolves pursued shooting guard Kevin Martin for a collection of reasons this offseason. For one, he’s played for Rick Adelman in both Sacramento and Houston and has incredible respect for his former coach. In Adelman’s system, Martin thrives because he’s revered as one of the top players in the league when it comes to moving without the ball. Second, at 6-foot-7 Martin adds significant length at the 2-guard spot. And third, with the Wolves struggling from the perimeter last year, Martin adds significantly better 3-point numbers.
The Wolves shot 30.5 percent from 3-point range last year, worse than any other team (aside from the 2011-12 Bobcats) over the past decade. Injuries played a part in that, but the Wolves simply weren’t able to hurt teams from the outside. J.J. Barea was the team’s best 3-point threat at 34.7 percent shooting over 74 games, and he ranked 98th in the league in 3-point percentage. Aside from Barea, only Luke Ridnour and Derrick Williams played in more than 40 games and shot better than 30 percent from distance.
By comparison, Martin enjoyed his best 3-point shooting season with the Thunder last year. He ranked 10th in the NBA in 3-point percentage (42.6) while playing in 77 games and averaging 4.8 attempts per night. He was fifth in the league among shooting guards. A career 38.5 percent 3-point shooter, Martin has three times in his career averaged better than 40 percent from behind the arc.
Above is Martin’s shot chart from the 2012-13 season with data compiled from Stats.NBA.com. As you can see, he ranks above NBA average in all 3-point areas aside from the right wing, where he shot 35.38 percent. His top areas are from the corners, where he shot 50 percent including 48-of-96 from the left and 8-of-16 from the right. In Adelman’s offense, being able to move the ball and connect from corner 3s is an important piece of the puzzle.
With Martin moving back into the starting role—he came off the bench last year in OKC—the defensive matchups he draws will be different this season. Still, his sharpshooting and size at the 2-guard spot should help the Wolves significantly improve those 3-point numbers. Add in Kevin Love and Chase Budinger for a full season as well as Barea’s standout play during his international tournaments this summer, and the Wolves are in better position to hurt teams from the outside in 2013-14.