Kenyon Martin steals so often, so blatantly, that surely his sticky fingers and quick hands are red.
After a four-steal Saturday night, the Nuggets’ Martin entered Sunday with 2.07 steals per game, good for seventh in the NBA. Only one nonguard, Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace (2.12), has more swipes than Denver’s starting power forward.
Martin “is such an active guy. He sees things on the floor and anticipates well,” said Houston assistant coach T.R. Dunn, who snatched 1,070 during his Denver playing days, second-most in franchise history. “He’s a tough draw. He’s a tough defender, and he likes to play defense. And he can get his hands on the ball.”
Martin has always been a smart and snarling defender. But before this season, the highest steals average he ever logged was 1.5, back in 2003-04 with New Jersey.
So what’s different this season?
“I guess we’re rotating a little more. He’s playing on the perimeter, and he’s got great defensive hands slashing down on the ball,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “He’s one of our leaders on the defensive end of the court, and hopefully at the end of the year, we’ll be saying the same thing.”
Karl compared Martin to another Karl, former Utah star Karl Malone, who had a “tremendous knack” for smacking the ball from an opponent at an opportune time, forcing a loose ball.
Dunn and Martin were similar players because of their tenacity and grit and all that good stuff that turns a highly paid basketball player into a blue-collar worker. In 1983-84, Dunn had his best year of thievery, notching 2.2 steals per game, good for sixth in the league.
Now, coach Dunn believes Martin is a dangerous defender and stellar stealer because, of course, of Martin’s quick hands.
“A lot of times, you can’t get around him because he’s a lot quicker than you,” Dunn said. “Everybody has to play within themselves, and if a guy is quicker than you, you may not be able to beat a guy off the dribble, you may have to use other people or the body of another player to get yourself open. You have to be smart.”
Or else, Martin might get caught red-handed — with the ball in his hands.
Told of his No. 7 status, Martin smiled and, seemingly just half-kidding, proclaimed, “I’m trying to be No. 1 in the league!”
Since 1994-95, only once has a forward done so, and that forward was Wallace.
