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Kenyon Martin Jr


IMG Academy | PF/C | Postgraduate

Height: 6'7"
Weight: 215
Wingspan: N/A

Shades of: JaKarr Sampson, Alize Johnson
Projected Role: Rim Runner / Potential Stretch Four

Mock Draft Position: Undrafted
Big Board Ranking: #85

The Prep Life: Kenyon Martin Jr. Making His Own Path From Prep Star To The  Pros

Selling Points: 

Athleticism & Finishing - Kenyon Martin Jr's main appeal as a prospect comes in his quick-twitch athleticism. Martin Jr is an explosive athlete around the rim who is a consistent lob threat in both transition and in the half-court. The majority of Martin Jr's scoring opportunities come from above-the-rim plays in the paint in which he shows great efficiency and the ability to convert in traffic. Martin Jr appears to be ambidextrous and comfortable making plays with or finishing with either hand. Martin Jr possesses great speed in the open court and that combined with his strength, developing handle, and explosive leaping ability makes him a dangerous transitional player. 

Developing Perimeter Game - As an undersized four, Martin Jr's future success is partially reliant on his ability to produce on the perimeter. Martin Jr has made strides with IMG academy as a perimeter player as he has not only improved as a catch and shoot three-point shooter, but also as a ball-handler and a passer. Martin Jr is a capable shooter from the high school three-point line. His improvement and form so far bode well for future development in this area. While Martin Jr isn't the smartest playmaker in the halfcourt, he is a willing passer with a knack for pushing the ball up the court in transition. 

Defensive Potential - Due to his combination of strength and quickness, Martin Jr has intriguing defensive potential. Martin Jr has above-average positional quickness and has shown glimpses of containing drives from the perimeter. Martin Jr also has quick hands and is capable of poking the ball loose and creating transition opportunities. Instinctually, Martin Jr is more comfortable defending the interior than the perimeter. When defending larger opponents on post-ups, he is relatively disciplined for someone his age as he stays vertical and avoids fouling. Martin Jr has also proven to be a capable weakside shot blocker, using his explosive leaping ability and great timing to contest shots and protect the rim. 

Rebounding - Martin Jr still has ways to go fundamentally as a rebounder, especially when it comes to finding a body and boxing out, but has the physical tools and timing to be a plus-rebounder. Martin Jr gets quick off the ground and uses his leaping ability to snag boards over taller bigs. He also possesses a quick second jump and crashes the offensive boards either to clean up his or his teammates' mistakes or create extra opportunities. 


Turnoffs: 

Scoring Versatility - As aforementioned, the majority of Martin Jr's scoring opportunities come on lobs or drop-offs around the rim. As an undersized four, Martin Jr won't be able to rely on his big man skillset at the next level and currently doesn't possess the perimeter skillset to compensate for this. While he has made strides as a shooter, Martin Jr still remains a reluctant shooter from deep. Martin Jr hasn't shown the ability to create off the dribble and is still rather stiff and hesitant as a catch and shoot option. 

Positional Fit - At 6'7" with an unknown yet presumed unimpressive wingspan, Martin Jr lacks the size and length that most modern power forwards. Martin Jr's tweener status is further made evident through his current lack of perimeter play at an NBA level which limits his ability to play on the wing. 

Defensive Effort - While Martin Jr has the physical tools to be an impactful and potentially multi-positional defender, his intelligence and effort on the defensive end is lacking. His effort on the defensive end wavers which could either be due to a lack of engagement or simply out of disinterest due to playing low-level competition. In conjunction with his poor effort, Martin Jr lacks good defensive positioning and has room to improve in this area. 


Swing Skills: 

Three-Point Shooting - Despite having made improvements as a catch and shoot option, Martin Jr is still a below-average threat from deep and will need to become more consistent and willing to shoot from deep to carve out a role at the next level. 

Defensive Improvement - In order to earn consistent minutes in the league, Martin Jr will need to become a more disciplined defender and improve his footwork laterally. As he is undersized for the power forward position, becoming more adept as defending wings will be a priority for him. 

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