I talked with Houston starting shooting guard Kevin Martin prior to Tuesday night’s Celtics-Rockets game at the TD Garden. Here is what the Western Carolina alum who is averaging 18.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists had to say.
1. At the beginning of the year everyone made a huge deal about the trade that didn’t go through (Lakers-Hornets-Rockets aka “Chris Paul to the Lakers Deal”) and all the talk was about Paul and Lamar Odom and how he handled it, how have you dealt with it?
Martin: Just play basketball and that’s all. That’s all I do.
2. Trade deadline is now a week from Thursday. How do you and your teammates focus on basketball and what needs to be done?
Martin: I think you think about more important things like getting better as a team and making it to the playoffs.
3. Guarding Ray Allen tonight, you’ve been doing it throughout your career. What’s that like?
Martin: Ah, you know, you just got to make sure your legs are warm, cause Doc is always running him off screens. So you got to be prepared for that.
4. What has Kevin McHale been like as Head Coach this season?
Martin: Oh he’s been great. He’s definitely been a great inspiration for our team this year. Somebody who has been through the fire before. And established a style of play of toughness and things like that, so I think that’s why we’re at the point we are, because of him.
5. Western Carolina, what was the story behind that? Were you not heavily recruited coming out of high school?
Martin: (smiles) Ah, nah you know. Just like my career been kinda overlooked and underrated. So that’s why I think I’m the player I am today, because a lot of that stuff fuels me.
-Keefe
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