Meet the Real Kevin Martin

Kevin Martin was traded to the Rockets because he didn't fit with Tyreke Evans. While it's a bit early to say that Evans will run the league for years to come, he's cheaper, younger, and affects the game in more ways -- and with more force -- than Martin. The Kings had to make a choice, and it wasn't a difficult one. But don't go thinking that Martin, centerpiece of the Kings for the past three seasons, was unceremoniously kicked to the curb, or went out like a sucker.

For one, although Sacramento's future is bright, pretty much everyone agrees that Martin really brings together the room in Houston. There's also not a lead scorer more in line with Daryl Morey's aesthetic than Kevin Martin. On top of that, that Martin couldn't co-exist with the ball-dominating Evans actually may have helped his reputation with the casual fan.

Let's face it, the Kings are not the most widely-viewed team on Earth. Martin has, for the most part, done his best work in the dark. Tyreke Evans, along with their great improvement this season, has gotten them some national attention. Martin, though, was essentially a local legend and a pile of box scores.

What did the average NBA fan know about Kevin Martin? That he had an awkward but deathly-accurate jumper, inconspicuously put up tons of points, and had a haircut out of 1991 before it was cool again. He was also mild-mannered, even-keeled, and just generally came off as a very nice young man. This was not a guy brimming with style or bravura. Thus, if you didn't watch the guy, you would hear him compared to Reggie Miller, Richard Hamilton, and any number of other low-key jump-shooters who expertly, if somewhat passively, worked off the ball. Based on this assessment, Martin seemed like he'd have no problem sharing a back-court with Evans.

Except Martin was never just a polite shooter. He could take defenders off the dribble, went to the line with Corey Maggette-like frequency, and could surprise with his athleticism around the basket. Martin liked having the ball in his hands, making plays for himself or others, and serving as the catalyst for the entire offense. That he very rarely squandered, or got hung up on, this kind of assertive play, created an optical illusion.

Martin gave off the soft glow of a player content to let someone like Evans take the lead. Even when you watched him, it sometimes felt that way. I don't know who on the Kings we blame for making this miscalculation, but certainly, they weren't the only ones guilty of this error.

Granted, Evans was supposed to come in and become point guard, and has turned out to be more of a hybrid. Not a combo, but a hybrid -- that's something positive. But Martin was supposed to be the adaptable one. That playing with Evans threw him off, and made him unable to play his game, was proof that Martin wasn't who we thought he was. It doesn't make him, or even Evans, a ball hog, just makes it known that both need, and want, the ball.

That's a good quality in a lead scorer; you want them to be able to control the game and attack from anywhere. Evans was already that. Now, the whole world knows that Martin is, too.