The Answer
Years ago

Damian Martin - MVP?

Someone raised the possibility of Damian Martin being the MVP of the NBL and I am going to take it a step further.

Basketball has never had or has completely lost track of the fact that you spend 50% of the time in offense and 50% of the time in defense. However, all of the rewards come for people that perform best at the offensive end. Sure, I understand this, offense is a lot more cool and spectacular than defense. From a young age, you are judged on the points you scored. You are judged better if you scored 25 than if you kept the oppositions best player to 5 points rather than the 30 they would usually get.

Most leagues in Australia don't even have a Best Defensive player which astounds me. This alienates those that perhaps aren't the greatest offensive powers.

My question is, if you picked the Perth Wildcats team from scratch tomorrow on their current list, who would you pick first?? I would pick Damian Martin. He brings more to that side than any other player. His hustle and leadership along with his smarts outweigh the scoring power of those better offensive players. Do we ever think we will see a strong defensive player like Martin ever win an MVP.....I doubt it and I think that is very sad.

Am I being a tool? Any thoughts from the masses??

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Isaac  
Years ago

I would pick him first too, but I don't think we'll see him win MVP.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I guess you could argue that those offensive players still have to play defense, whether or not they are good at it.

Martin would need to improve his points production to 12-15 with a good assist average to be considered.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Yes, you are being a tool

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KingJames  
Years ago

Another way to look at it is rating that player out of 10 for both offense and defense in which case Martin wouldn't have a chance

Martin - Defense = 9, Offense = 4 = 13
Ennis - Defense = 7, Offense = 9 = 16
Beal - Defense = 7, Offense = 8 = 15

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Nathan of Perth  
Years ago

I suspect that on a team that didn't have the scoring options that the Wildcats do, Martin would be likely to let his offensive game show a bit more.

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Poker  
Years ago

Damo is a star.

Awesome to watch.

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Isaac  
Years ago

Martin's defence is more like 12/10...

On top of that, you can't judge Martin's offence purely on his scoring. His job is to run the offence and he does that well.

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Poker  
Years ago

"Martin's defence is more like 12/10..."

Bullshit, 13/10 ;)

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Steven  
Years ago

If you were building a team from scratch and wanted a top Aussie point guard you would be crazy to overlook Damo. If he chose to leave Perth he would be amongst the most sought after players in the league.

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PlaymakerMo  
Years ago

"I would pick him first too, but I don't think we'll see him win MVP."

Absolutely, which is a shame but at least coaches and fellow players universally understand his importance to the Wildcats.

Should win league MVP, but won't.

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The Answer  
Years ago

He also does the 1%ers and not just once or twice a game. Getting in the lanes, getting a hand to loose balls, etc and the team lifting dives make his 1%ers into 20%ers. He is the major reason Perth are champions this year....he did have a pretty strong supporting cast....and he doesn't flop!!!!

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Bol Bol  
Years ago

Damo is a star! But he could be even better offensively if he used his speed and athleticism to take it to the rack more often. Seen games where he was more aggressive and he was unstoppable. Three point shooting is a little inconsistent but could still average around 14-15ppg if he penetrated more often. But the way he runs the point and with the players around him hes more the team oriented point guard. If he was selfish he could quite easily be averaging higher ppg and definitely a MVP candidate

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paul  
Years ago

I think he is most valuable player in the true sense, no one else adds more value to their team.

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Isaac  
Years ago

Why does he need to do more offensively when he has all those other weapons around him? Top of the regular season and a championship says he did everything he needed to do. And is apparently an awesome guy.

During the lean 36ers years, I always thought that if we couldn't get Martin, Gibson was our next best bet. (And if not Vukona, then Petrie.) As a coach, if you get Martin, that's a lot less worrying you have to do about playmaking, defense, a player following instructions, etc.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

OP - umm that's why he won DPOY. I don't see your point. MVP means Valuable as in some teams may need their most valuable player to be on offence and not necessarily defence.

Reply #470430 | Report this post


paul  
Years ago

By that logic those players should OPOY.

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proud  
Years ago

The most important thing that Damo needs to be MVP he has and that's a coach that doesn't want to take him off the court.

Damo is exceptional in so many ways (reckon he deserved to be in the Wildcats 30th anniversary team) and I think if he had more assists (say 8/game or 2 each quarter) then he would be as noticed as any other player in the league as his hustle is legendary and he has well and truly earned getting his jersey retired in Perth.

Would I pick Damo first if I was building a squad? Yeah I would, I rate Knight as a top 3 calibre big man (league wide) but I am worried about injuries and would pick him second. Of course imports get picked after you've got the best Australian talent available.

As much as I'd love a returning Kevin Lisch or Jermaine Beal for next season. I've dreamt about a Damo & Rotnei back court and it was no nightmare!

As for a great defensive player winning MVP; Hakeem Olajuwon won Defensive player of the year the same year he won league MVP (1994) and then there was a bloke called Michael... I reckon if your going to win league MVP in any comp then you need to be a beast offensively. Damo was in that game of 18,8,8 so more of that and it could happen but I doubt it.

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Nathan of Perth  
Years ago

@paul,

All too often I think you're right, in that MVP is often a short-hand for Offensive Player of the Year!

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Martin is what you love about a basketballer and although a sixers fan, rate him highly and love the way he plays.

But if I was to pick and MVP surely has to be Goulding. The others wouldn't have made the playoffs without him and would have lost a lot more games.

Ennis has been great but as game 3 showed, Perth certainly had the depth to be a great team without his input.

To me Goulding should be MVP!

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The Answer  
Years ago

Yeah, all fair points. I think Wollongong would have been unlikely to make it without Rotnei. It raises all the usual arguments of what does MVP mean? We really are having a League's best player award and this is a more accurate description. Most Valuable Player to me is the player that a team could least do without....and for Perth, that is Martin.

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Vodka43  
Years ago

Ennis - defense 7 out of 10. The funniest thing I've read on here.

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