A lot went wrong for the Sixers in their season-opening loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, and the box score paints a fairly accurate picture of it all. Even with Joel Embiid and Paul George in street clothes, beginning your season by losing in front of a sold-out arena on your home floor against a potential playoff opponent is going to sting quite a bit.
It is back to the drawing board for the Sixers, particularly from an offensive perspective, as head coach Nick Nurse searches for answers beyond Tyrese Maxey while Maxey himself looks to rebound from a 10-for-31 shooting performance.
If there was only positive takeaway from the 124-109 loss, though, it would be the play of Caleb Martin. Signed to a four-year deal by the Sixers over the summer after contract negotiations with the Miami Heat fell through, Martin led non-Maxey Sixers in total minutes in his team debut despite coming off the bench. At times he was given too much of a burden offensively, but on the whole Martin was very good.
What is particularly encouraging about it is that Martin did not just get unreasonably hot from three-point range or make a few highlight plays. He did the exact things Nurse has been talking about hoping to see from the sixth-year wing since the start of training camp: give all sorts of opponents absolute hell as a defender and crash the glass to create more possessions.
"[Martin] plays hard, man," Nurse said after the game. "He was fighting. He's darting to every guy… He was trying to guard everybody."
Martin's initial assignment was Damian Lillard, one of the all-time great scoring point guards. Later, he transitioned to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who presents entirely different challenges. Occasionally, he would guard up even more against bigs like Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis.
"I pride myself on being ready for any situation," Martin said following the loss. "I feel like that's part of my role: it's going to fluctuate, it's going to change all the time, and I've got to be ready for stuff like that. I'm okay with that. I think everybody has to be ready for [Nurse] to throw some stuff on the fly if things aren't working."
MORE: Sixers film study: Caleb Martin
Nurse has mentioned several times in the lead-up to the season that Martin has elite start-and-stop ability: he accelerates wonderfully and can, for example, go from the left wing to the right block in order to nab a rebound in an instant. While Martin did not record a steal, he did block a shot — and it was the result of that acceleration ability. Martin's closing speed to swat Pat Connaughton's corner three-point attempt is marvelous:
Most impressive defensive play any Sixer made tonight was this block by Caleb Martin. Absolutely remarkable closing speed on the Connaughton corner three. pic.twitter.com/Wn734EBxo6
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) October 24, 2024
Martin created four second-chance opportunities for the Sixers in his team debut — including a pair which Nurse referred to as "a couple of really explosive offensive rebounds" — and as the Sixers embrace a new identity built around athleticism and positional versatility, they will need someone like Martin to play above his listed height and weight.
While Martin is not an unskilled player, he is not one whose success is due to an abundance of talent. He has made a living outworking and outsmarting other players. Early on, he took advantage of Antetokounmpo falling asleep to generate an easy second-chance basket for Kelly Oubre Jr. after Oubre missed a three-point try:
Caleb Martin sneaks around Giannis Antetokounmpo when Antetokounmpo doesn't box out, grabs an offensive rebound and finds a cutting Kelly Oubre Jr. for a basket. pic.twitter.com/9UrO4S2Rlp
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 24, 2024
"He's a leader," Oubre said when asked about his first regular season game playing alongside Martin. "He's not going to get on people if he's not doing it, so he goes out there every night and does everything that he needs to do, and you see it. We all watch him, and we continuously lean on him in a lot of scenarios… I'm blessed to be a running mate with him because he helps me so much."
Maxey gave a similar review of Martin after their first official game teammates, also highlighting Martin's communication skills.
"Caleb was out there talking," Maxey said. "Talking extra extra."
It is clear — and Nurse admitted as much — that there is still work to do, particularly on the offensive end, in order for the Sixers to bring out the best in Martin. The ideal role for Martin on a contending team is likely one slightly reduced from what he did during his three years in Miami. If he can be the fourth or fifth option when he is on the floor, focused on spotting up from beyond the arc and an occasional drive attacking a closeout, he will be in the perfect situation. With Embiid and George sidelined, that is not possible. For the time being, Martin is going to be asked to do a bit more than he probably should be as a scorer and ball-handler.
Far too many times on Wednesday night, Martin was dribbling the ball for more than a second or two at a time without making a quick decision, ultimately leading to a low-quality look or a turnover (Martin expressed frustration postgame with his three turnovers):
Caleb Martin struggles to create his own shot, turning the ball over: pic.twitter.com/qv7yxeyGym
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 24, 2024
All in all, though, Martin's first showing in a Sixers uniform was one the team is excited about. A strong first game powered by all of the things that were emphasized headed into the season is an encouraging start.
"We're trying to crash the boards," Martin said. "[Nurse has] always preached that… He's always kind of pushed that."
The rave reviews for Martin were unanimous across the locker room, even after a frustrating loss in a high-profile game.
"I'm just happy he's on our side," Oubre said.
MORE: Instant observations: Bucks 124, Sixers 109
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