Martin has a lot of big-game expertise and has largely fared properly in these video games.
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The Toronto Raptors actually have a sort. Small, extraordinarily athletic and a give-no-quarter, lock-you-down defender? Come on down.
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The most recent instance got here in Thursday’s second spherical of the 2025 NBA draft.
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The Raptors went for explosive athleticism with the thirty ninth decide, choosing Alijah Martin, a five-year guard out of Florida. Martin spent his first 4 NCAA seasons with Florida Atlantic.
Martin is a high-flying however undersized guard who stands out as a wonderful defender, top-of-the-line perimeter defenders within the SEC. Martin has in depth big-game expertise, having reached the NCAA Match semifinal in 2023 (he scored 26 factors in a one-point loss to San Diego State), earlier than profitable all of it for Florida this previous season within the thrilling Gators win over Houston.
“It’s important to lay your physique on the road, that’s the way you win video games,” Martin mentioned in his first assembly with the Toronto media after describing himself as an “final competitor.”
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Toronto additionally opted for a defence-first, hard-nosed SEC participant a day earlier, taking South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles ninth within the first spherical of the draft. The 2 performed in a January recreation, with Florida profitable by a degree.
“He actually, actually impressed me, he was arduous to cope with,” Martin mentioned of his new teammate who had an enormous recreation that night time.
Workforce executives had mentioned this week they appeared intently on the NBA playoffs this 12 months and the way arduous gamers on the final groups standing performed and the way they largely excelled defensively. The query that stored arising was might the blokes the Raptors favored slot in at some point in comparable conditions. They felt Murray-Boyles undoubtedly might and whereas Martin is extra of a task of the cube as gamers taken towards the center of the second spherical typically don’t even make the NBA, he by no means takes a second off when he’s on the courtroom — much like Jamal Shead, Toronto’s decide at 45 final 12 months.
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“I don’t assume it’s a coincidence in any respect,” mentioned Raptors assistant basic supervisor Dan Tolzman Thursday of the picks. “I feel we see guys that when the sport will get robust and profitable time occurs, these are guys, they gained’t again away from that combat, they’ll run to it and so they’ll do all of the little issues and hopefully the ability improvement comes with simply working our improvement program from there.”
Tolzman mentioned Martin is a confirmed winner and mentioned the group doesn’t imagine he’s a completed participant regardless of his 5 years in class.
“He’s obtained quite a lot of room for development nonetheless. A type of guys, get him in our program and see what he can do. He’s going to combat for every thing he can get,” Tolzman mentioned.
Draft knowledgeable Sam Vecenie of The Athletic described Martin as “small by NBA requirements, however makes up for it with energy and athleticism. There is probably not a greater pound-for-pound athlete within the 2025 draft.”
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Martin shot the ball decently throughout his NCAA profession, however isn’t seen as a degree guard, which means he’ll be a small taking pictures guard on offence, although he’s constantly guarded level and taking pictures guards, small forwards and even some energy forwards.
The Raptors roster now contains projected starters Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl, plus Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead, Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji and Jonathan Mogbo on assured offers. Murray-Boyles will deliver that record to 11 earlier than Summer time League in Las Vegas subsequent month.
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Jamison Battle will not be on a assured deal, however most definitely it should find yourself assured. Ulrich Chomche and Jared Rhoden are on two-way offers, plus the crew has A.J. Lawson and Colin Castleton on their very own non-guaranteed offers. Toronto technically might add one other two-way participant, be it Martin or another person, and as many as two others on normal offers, although they might additionally roster as few as 14 subsequent season as a result of a full roster might take them into first-apron luxurious tax territory. As is, they’d be within the least punitive a part of the posh tax, although they’d have all season to get again underneath by way of trades.
The Raptors had the thirty ninth decide from final summer season’s cope with Sacramento that ultimately introduced Shead and Davion Mitchell to Toronto.
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