By the numbers, or at least those tracked by Basketball Reference, Caleb Martin is being cast by the Miami Heat at power forward for 96% of his minutes this season, at center the other four.
So why is he so often seen defending the likes of elite point guards Damian Lillard or Stephen Curry?
Because any discussion with Erik Spoelstra about positions is shrugged off as idle chatter by the Heat coach, and because the box score more often than not lies.
For all the consternation about Martin, at a listed 6 feet 5, 205 pounds, being cast at the Heat’s starting small forward, the reality is that at moments of truth, as well as many other moments, that role largely has been handled by Jimmy Butler at the start of this season.
It is why, when asked about masquerading as a power forward, Martin smiles, knowing in moments such as Wednesday night’s visit by the Golden State Warriors to FTX Arena, he is just as likely to be found defending on the perimeter and setting up offensively deep on the wing.
“I mean, it depends on what you can do at your spot,” Martin told the Sun Sentinel. “Our lineup is based on versatility. I’m not one- or two-dimensional, where I can only guard big guys. I have the capability to guard point guards all the way to power forwards.
“So it’d be different if I was 6-10 or 6-9, 230, and I could only guard big guys.”
Martin said with center Bam Adebayo equally versatile in the team’s switching defense, it allows those cast as power players by Spoelstra to as easily wind up defending on the perimeter.
“I think it doesn’t look that much different, because I’m capable of guarding basically one through five on the switch,” he said. “And Bam kind of contributes to that, because we say the same thing for Bam, when you see Bam chasing Steph and Klay [Thompson] all over the place, too.”
In fact, Martin said he is more easily defined as a power forward on offense because of the way the Heat have utilized those alongside Adebayo, essentially as spacers at the 3-point line in the corners, such as himself, P.J. Tucker last season, or Meyers Leonard and Kelly Olynyk in previous seasons.
“I think it’s kind of what Tuck did, in having me more in the spacer spot, as a four,” Martin said. “It’s kind of being on the baseline and the corner, kind of to create gaps and opportunities for guys like Bam and Jimmy and them to get into the open space.
“I think that’s one of the main things that you do here at the four spot, is just kind of create space for guys off the cut and off the move. So it’s more being the four off the ball.”
In the end, after arriving to the Heat last season as a wing, Martin still feels comfortable in that skin.
“I think it’s pretty similar to what I’d been doing,” he said. “It’s not too much really different.”
Turning the switch
Among the early-season issues for the Heat has been getting their switching defense in sync with this season’s lineup change.
“But it’s a long season,” Adebayo said. “That’s why we have those practice days, go in there and smooth things out. And when the game’s on, test the fence. We just got to all get on the same page.”
Point guard Kyle Lowry said the switching precepts are the same as last season, but now being attempted with different personnel groupings.
“The details are the same with switching,” he said. “I think we have different coverages with different people in different lineups and different units. So it’s always the things that are changing, ever-changing things that we have to get adjusted to.”
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