Donovan Mitchell Believes Miami Heat’s Caleb Martin Should Have Won Eastern Conference Finals MVP

Many NBA fans still believe Miami Heat forward Caleb Martin should have been MVP of the Eastern Conference finals MVP.

NBA players Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Theo Pinson (Dallas Mavericks) are among the latest to recognize him.

“Don’t get me started,” Pinson said. “Caleb Martin should’ve been the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. He was ballin!”

Do you think Caleb Martin should have won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP?

Donovan Mitchell and Theo Pinson think so! #NBAPlayoffs

Martin’s Average’s:
19.3 | Points
6.4 | Rebounds
1.7 | Assists
60.2% | FG Percentage
35.6 | Minutes per Game@spidadmitchell x @tpinsonn… https://t.co/Qm7kcqAL8M
— Tidal League (@TidalLeague) June 3, 2023

Martin averaged 19.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists, shooting 60.2 percent from the field and 49 percent from 3-point range. Jimmy Butler was their best scorer but Martin was the most consistent, especially amidst lackluster performances from Butler and Bam Adebayo. Martin was better statistically than Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who averaged 19 points on 16 percent shooting from downtown.

Now in the NBA Finals, Martin needs to show why so many rallied for him to win this award. He struggled in Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets, going 1 of 7 for just three points. But as we’ve seen this postseason, he has the ability to ignite and is certain to bounce back Sunday night.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is confident of an efficient return for Martin and the others in Game 2.

“We've been through this before,” Spoesltra said. “They’re ignitable. They’ve heard it from us, they will hear it from us. I love the looks those guys get. I love it when they see two or three go down, because that can turn into five or six. But I also love that toughness and grit; we can find different ways and different solutions to get a win.”

Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.