Miami Heat's Caleb Martin Developing as a Strong Defender

What the Miami Heat's Caleb Martin has done the past three games is hard to overlook.

In games defending Chris Paul, Steph Curry and Trae Young _ three of the league's top point guard _ Martin has only allowed 33 points. To put that into perspective, Curry has scored 30 points in a half 11 times throughout his career.

Without the help of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, the Heat have called on Martin to use his athleticism to make an impact on the defensive end.

“It’s not about stealing the ball or trying to turn these really good guards over, but being there in front of them and making them see a body at all times," guard Tyler Herro said of Martin. "That wears on guys.

Paul, Curry, and Young shot a combined 24 percent while matched against Martin. His ability to guard different positions has allowed Miami to show a variety of lineups despite being shorthanded.

Kyle Lowry applauded Martin for his eagerness to take on these assignments.

“It gives me an opportunity to see the game, and watch the game and be that free safety, but it’s not about me," Lowry said. "It’s about him and his abilities to guard the best player on the floor and be disruptive”

Coach Erik Spoelstra said Martin has played more disciplined.

“When you have to guard great players, you have to be disciplined and consistent to the game plan and handle it when great players score and not panic," Spoelstra said. "He has really been improving in our system as a disciplined defender”

They will need Martin’s competitiveness again Friday against Young and the Hawks.

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Corey Holmes is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He is a film and television graduate from Notre Dame and has a master's degree in journalism from Morgan State. He can reached at coreyholmes4@gmail.com or on Twitter @coreyholmes4