The Toronto Raptors’ string of injuries has created a career opportunity for Alijah Martin. Kawhi Leonard is still out, Scottie Barnes remains questionable, and Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl, and Collin Murray-Boyles also missed time.
When the Raptors took on the Milwaukee Bucks without three starters—Leonard, Barnes, and Quickley—Martin, who had just earned a standard contract after spending last season on a two-way deal, got to play 31 minutes. He tied RJ Barrett for the team high with 27 points and also added 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block.
He has stuck in Darko Rajakovic’s rotation ever since, and, while he hasn’t replicated his scoring explosion from the Bucks game, he has looked like a solid, capable rotational player.
With Leonard still out and tough opponents waiting in four consecutive games against the New York Knicks, Washington Wizards, and Detroit Pistons, Martin has another career opportunity: If he continues playing well, he can make it impossible for Rajakovic to cut his minutes when the team is fully healthy. How he plays in the next few games, could set the tone for Martin’s entire season.
Martin has been a bright spot for the Raptors
Between all of the injuries and the Raptors’ three-game losing streak, you have to find some smaller wins and encouraging developments. Martin’s emergence is certainly one of them. Finding capable rotational players among a team’s cheap depth pieces is always important, but even more so with all of the money the Raptors spend on Leonard, Barnes, Quickley, and Poeltl.
Last season, it was Sandro Mamukelashvili, who played his best season with the Raptors after struggling to establish himself as a good rotational player in the NBA. Hopefully, Martin can be that player this season.
He’s certainly off to a good start, sinking 13 of his 23 3-point attempts and contributing on defense. The fact that everyone other than Jamison Battle is struggling from behind the arc should help Martin’s case for continued minutes.
Even when Leonard is back, it will be difficult to run a rotation with Battle as the only other reliable outside threat. Immanuel Quickley and Ja’Kobe Walter are only shooting 33.8% and 32.1%, respectively, at the moment. Opponents still respect them as 3-point shooters, but that only helps a bit if they’re not actually knocking down shots. While there’s reason to believe that they will find their touch sooner or later, playing another 3-point shooter who can also defend certainly won’t hurt the team.
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