Caleb Martin's Honest Thoughts on Having Bench Role in 76ers Debut

Caleb Martin came off the bench in his 76ers debut.

Oct 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (16) drives against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers opened their season with a 109-124 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The loss came as a result of an all around offensive blitz from the Bucks with Damian Lillard finding his stroke from the field, ending the night with a game-high 30 points.

The Sixers simply just struggled to find their rhythm, only managing to shoot 41 percent from the field, with an even lower 25 percent from beyond the arch.

Tyrese Maxey led the way for Philadelphia, bringing his night to an end with 25 points and six rebounds.

Another player who found some success from the field was Caleb Martin, who put up 13 points and nine rebounds across 37 minutes on the court.

Oct 14, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (16) dribbles against the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

His 37 minutes was the second highest among Sixers’ players, coming despite starting the game on the bench, only playing for 17 minutes in the first half.

While Martin came off the bench in the first two quarters, he started the second half on the court, going for nearly the entire third quarter.

When discussing the switch in game time, Martin explained that it comes down to preparedness and always being ready for what is thrown at him.

“I try to find myself on being ready for any situation that's part of my role,” explained Martin. It’s going to fluctuate, change all the time, and I just got to be ready for stuff like that.”

The 29-year-old feels that it doesn’t just fall to him to be prepared but rather his whole team especially given the amount of utility Coach Nurse has at his disposal.

“Everybody has to be ready for the coach to throw some stuff on the fly if things aren't working, if he doesn't like it,” said Martin, “think that's that's the positive with a lot of guys so versatile…”

The Sixers will hope to bounce back off of their opening night loss as they are set to take on the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

Martin will slide into a different role, as he's been named a starter for the first time since suiting up for the Sixers during the regular season.