http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_7678740</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class="articleTitle">Martin surprising Nuggets with strong play</div> <div class="articleSubTitle">"Kenyon is back" so soon after latest knee surgery</div> <div class="articleByline"><a class="articleByline" href="mailto:cdempsey@denverpost.com?subject=The%20Denver%20Post:%20Martin%20surprising%20Nuggets%20with%20strong%20play">By Chris Dempsey The Denver Post</a></div> <div class="articleDate">Article Last Updated:12/10/2007 12:05:50 AM MST</div> </p> <div class="articlePositionHeader"></div> </p> <div class="articleBody"> Twenty points, 12 rebounds, five blocked shots and three steals in 38 minutes against Sacramento. Eighteen points, seven rebounds and a steal in 35 minutes against Miami.</p> These are box scores Kenyon Martin recognizes.</p> These are how the old Kenyon Martin box scores looked. Thing is, this is the new Martin. And just over a month into his return after right knee microfracture surgery in 2006, the Nuggets forward is playing at a level no one thought he would this early.</p> "I think he's probably ahead of schedule, in my mind," Nuggets coach George Karl said.</p> Nuggets strength and conditioning coach Steve Hess provided a more definitive point of view.</p> "There's no might, he absolutely is 100 percent ahead of schedule," Hess</p> said. "I know his schedule, I know the progressions; he's blown that out of the water. I'd say he's a month to six weeks, at least, ahead of schedule. No doubt in my mind." Martin surprisingly has been one of the steadiest frontcourt players the Nuggets have. That has allowed them to survive through injuries to Nene and Steven Hunter and a banged up Eduardo Najera.</p> Martin was supposed to still be a 25 minutes-per-game player while being monitored and brought along slowly by coaches and training staff. But in the past three games Martin has averaged 35.7 minutes. He has rewarded the Nuggets in those games with averages of 14.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 1.7 steals.</p> "Kenyon is back," guard Allen Iverson said. "I've seen it. I've seen the explosiveness that he had before he got hurt. I've been seeing it. He's right there. And if he can get better than what he is right now, then I can't wait to see that."</p> Martin said he is ready for more.</p> "I can play 40 minutes if they need me to," he said. "If the game is on the line, I have to sacrifice some things. I've told George that as well. I'll sacrifice whether maybe I'll be sore tomorrow. I'll sacrifice that for my team. It's all about winning."</p> More minutes are on hold for now, but then in the past three games Martin has played more minutes than his career average (32.6) anyway. For now, Karl said, "We're trying to keep him right around 30 for another 10, 15 games and see how he does through that."</p> On playing around 40 minutes a game, Martin said: "Right now it's not time. We're looking toward March, April, May, toward the playoffs. So by that time, the minutes will be consistent around there. But as long as we win, I'm happy."</p> So how did he get to this point so quickly? A good pregame routine.</p> "He's unbelievably loyal," Hess said. "If you give him something he believes in, something that you've given him, he busts his butt."</p> Martin's home routine starts two hours before the game.</p> He gets taped after arrival.</p> * 75 minutes before the game: Done with taping.</p> * 65 minutes: Five leg weightlifting exercises.</p> * 55 minutes: Static and ballistic stretching and core stabilizers.</p> * 47 minutes: Keeps knees warmed up.</p> * 15 minutes: On-court routine for feet and groin.</p> * 12 minutes: Nuggets pregame routine.</p> "And then he's ready to go," Hess said.</p> Martin will do this for the rest of his NBA career, Hess acknowledges.</p> "The stuff that gets you better is the stuff that keeps you better," Hess said. "It's amazing because people think problems just go away. They don't. Why even risk? So he will do it forever."</p> Martin's response to this procedure has been better than that of other players, such as Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire and New York's Zach Randolph, who struggled in their first seasons back after microfracture surgeries. It is a change from Martin's first microfracture surgery, on his left knee in May 2005. He rushed back to the court after that procedure and it cost him during an injury-riddled 2005-06 in which the knee caused him to miss 22 games, resulted in injuries to other parts of his body and never let him play healthy the entire season.</p> "I didn't do anything," Martin said. "I was just back on the court in five months trying to play. I did a little rehab. But like I said, I was back on the court trying to run up and down the court trying to be the same player I was."</p> Now things are different. And better.</p> "It's big," Iverson said. "He knows the game on both ends of the floor. Just his defensive presence is something special. A lot of times, as Kenyon goes, we go. It's just his enthusiasm, the way he approaches every game and just how positive he is. It's just a good feeling to have him and to have him out there on the basketball court."</p> <h4>December to remember?</h4> Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin has shown no ill effects from the right knee microfracture surgery he had a year ago. He has been hitting his stride since the start of December. Here's what he has done recently:</p> Dec. 2 vs. Miami: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 25 minutes</p> Dec. 5 vs. L.A. Lakers: 6 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 34 minutes</p> Dec. 6 at Dallas: 18 points, 7 rebounds, 35 minutes</p> Dec. 8 vs. Sacramento: 20 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 steals, 38 minutes</p> </div></p> </div>
Interesting comments from AI</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>"Kenyon is back," guard Allen Iverson said. "I've seen it. I've seen the explosiveness that he had before he got hurt. I've been seeing it. He's right there. And if he can get better than what he is right now, then I can't wait to see that."</div></p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>"It's big," Iverson said. "He knows the game on both ends of the floor. Just his defensive presence is something special. A lot of times, as Kenyon goes, we go. It's just his enthusiasm, the way he approaches every game and just how positive he is. It's just a good feeling to have him and to have him out there on the basketball court."</div></p>
I've only seen him once this season, and he was doing a lot of slapping at the ball as players went by him- is he picking up a lot of fouls like that?</p>
It's been three years since he played 70 games so he should have plenty left in the tank. Nice to see him doing well.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lukewarmplay)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> I've only seen him once this season, and he was doing a lot of slapping at the ball as players went by him- is he picking up a lot of fouls like that?</p> </div></p> He still tries to do the quick hands thing to get steals and right now he is at a career high 1.6 SPG. Foul wise, he hasn't been a problem because of the reduced minutes, so he has been fairly aggressive. His bounce and elevation have been impressive.</p> </p>
Hopefully Hess is working every day with Nene to get him healthy and ready to play. Hess has done wonders with KMart. Who do you guys think should start come post season? Maybe trade one of them?</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Answer_AI03)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Hopefully Hess is working every day with Nene to get him healthy and ready to play. Hess has done wonders with KMart. Who do you guys think should start come post season? Maybe trade one of them?</p> </div></p> </p> Nene suffers from vagina-itis, and I'm not sure that there's a cure for it.</p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lukewarmplay)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> I've only seen him once this season, and he was doing a lot of slapping at the ball as players went by him- is he picking up a lot of fouls like that?</p> </div></p> He still tries to do the quick hands thing to get steals and right now he is at a career high 1.6 SPG. Foul wise, he hasn't been a problem because of the reduced minutes, so he has been fairly aggressive. His bounce and elevation have been impressive.</p> </p> </div></p> </p> Agreed. I watched him in that Lakers game, he was looking great, and had a huge dunk. When I saw that, it brought back fond memories.</p>
