A recent update suggests that Miami Heat wing Caleb Martin — who has been sidelined with a knee injury since appearing in the team’s season opener against the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 25 — is trending toward making a return to the court in the near future.
It’s more good news for the Heat as their turnaround continues.
Caleb Martin doing more in shootaround today, with the look of a player who could be back within a week.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) November 14, 2023
Caleb Martin going hard post practice, an encouraging sign. pic.twitter.com/iAvSKtcixN
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) November 14, 2023
Against the Pistons, Martin scored two points and shot 1-of-7 from the field in roughly 20 minutes of playing time off the bench. Despite his subpar performance, the Heat still beat the Pistons by one point to grab their first win of the season.
More recently, the Heat have managed to put together a winning streak without one of their best supporting players in Martin. The team is currently riding a five-game winning streak, and its most recent win came against the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 12. The Heat beat the Spurs by five points behind a 26-point performance from Duncan Robinson.
Martin is in his third season as a member of the storied Heat franchise, and he’s fresh off the best season of his pro career. He averaged 9.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from behind the 3-point line in 71 games played with Miami during the 2022-23 regular season.
The 28-year-old then proceeded to take his game to another level during Miami’s playoff run. He was particularly great against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, helping the Heat advance to the NBA Finals.
During the Eastern Conference Finals, Martin averaged 19.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting a scorching 60.2 percent from the field and 48.9 percent from outside the 3-point arc.
Arguably his best game of the series came in the most important one, Game 7. He dropped 26 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in that one. Plus, he shot 11-of-16 from the floor and knocked down four 3-pointers in Miami’s 19-point win.
It sounds like Martin has a legitimate chance of returning to Miami’s lineup within a week, which is great news for the Heat as they look to keep things rolling.
