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Does Philadelphia 76ers forward KJ Martin have a dominant hand? It depends on the situation.
Martin is ambidextrous, something that was noted on scouting reports of him when he entered the NBA in 2020 but has not become a sticking point in his game. Amid a great run with the 76ers, where he has scored at least 19 points on no less than 87 percent field-goal shooting twice in the last four games while providing great defense, he mentioned how he prefers to do certain things, even on the court, with a specific hand.
After dropping a season-high 20 points on 9-10 shooting in a win over the Orlando Magic, Martin revealed that he throws with his left hand (as in chucking baseballs and footballs) and kicks with his left foot but he shoots the basketball, eats and writes with his right hand. “I'm all messed up,” Martin joked.
“When I was younger,” the 76ers forward continued, “I used to shoot with two hands and my dad was like, ‘ You can’t shoot like that. You gotta pick one.’ For some reason, I just picked my right hand. I just use my left around the basket to finish and dunk. Everything else, I do with my right.”
KJ Martin shows off ambidextrous scoring in 76ers' win vs. Magic
Martin's ambidexterity was on full display on his first two buckets. He got a tough layup to fall after taking a handoff in stride and then hit his free throw. While he threw down some dunks with two hands, he flipped to southpaw mode on one-handed finishes.
A few minutes later, Martin swished a spot-up triple from the corner. His right hand is a little off-center but he nonetheless uses his righty stroke to tie up the game.
Alternating his shooting hands should give Martin an edge as he refines his game as a play finisher. He may not get the ball and start cooking but if a teammate does, he can take full advantage of it by making a timely cut or rising up for a lob. Martin has been playing great for the Sixers, is generating great chemistry with Tyrese Maxey and would be a great fit alongside Joel Embiid when the big man returns.
Originally thought to be just a trade chip, Martin is becoming a player the 76ers play better with when he hits the floor. If he does end up being used in trades, he'll have some trade value of his own that should bring in some assets.
