Cody Martin Discusses 'Frustrating' Journey & When He'll Return
After putting together a strong season in 2021-22 that led to a new four-year contract, Charlotte Hornets wing Cody Martin was sidelined for much of last season with quad and knee injuries. He underwent a successful arthroscopic surgery last November but was never able to make it back to the court.
"Last year was definitely frustrating," Martin said last week. "It was like the first time I've ever had to sit out for that extended period of time. But I feel like I'm in a way better spot just in terms of my mental and even my physical. I think right now, it's just continue to do what I've been doing in the summer and just build off of that.
"I think that's the biggest part of it is managing right now. Just understanding where I'm at and not putting dates on when I'm supposed to be coming back and things like that. I think it's all about when I know I'm ready to go and basically just working together to figure out when that is. Right now, the goal is to get 100%."
Although he wasn't able to return to action last season, Martin says the time away helped him sharpen his game from an IQ and understanding standpoint. He spent time around his brother, Caleb, who went on a run to the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat, and took notes on how they prepared and what it took to be one of the most successful teams in the association.
Martin spent all of training camp doing limited work off to the side as he is not quite ready for live, five-on-five action just yet. He is moving around pretty well and appears to be a step closer to returning. This year though, Martin is being extremely cautious with his return to play process.
"I think just like with any injury, a lot of it is more than just the injury itself. Sometimes it's getting back in the rhythm of things. Some of that stuff varies. For me, I have to make sure [I'm ready] because I think there were a few times last year I tried to go and I might not had been 100% and that's trial and error. And learning from that, the best thing I can do is make sure that there are no setbacks.
"I'm optimistic in general with my approach and I believe that I'm going to be there at 100%. We just have to be smart about when that is and when to take those steps. A lot of that is just collaboration between us to where we have to make sure that we both are in a good spot to introduce different things and when it's time to get on the floor, making sure I'm in a good spot to where we all feel comfortable that when I'm out there I can be myself."
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