South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Martin returning just in time for homecoming
CHARLOTTE — Caleb Martin wasn’t about to miss his homecoming game.
The Heat small forward, who hails from Mocksville, North Carolina, — which is about an hour away from Charlotte’s Spectrum Center — said he would be back on the floor for Saturday night’s game against the Hornets after sitting out Miami’s win over San Antonio on Thursday with a sore left Achilles tendon.
“I’m not going to try to sit out as many games as possible,” Martin said. “So whenever I feel like I’m ready, I’ll get back. And I’m ready to go.”
Martin’s connections to North Carolina go further than growing up in the Tar Heel State. He played part of his college career at NC State before transferring to Nevada.
After going undrafted, he signed with the Hornets and played for them for two seasons. Charlotte released him before this season, and Miami picked him up.
“You’re always going to remember that,” Martin said. “That’s my first time. Tonight, [they] can decide that they made the wrong decision or not, you know what I mean? At the end of the day, teams [are] a business. Teams are going to make their decisions and players are going to make their decisions, and you just roll with what happens. Obviously, I don’t have anything to prove to them. It’s just I want to be the best player I can be every night.”
Martin still has a connection with the Hornets — in his twin brother, Cody. The two played together in college and with the Hornets. Martin said he and his brother got to spend time together on Friday.
“You go from seeing someone every single day, then all of a sudden you’re just in the house by yourself,” Martin said. “That’s why we’ve got FaceTime, though. We talk every day, and we critique each other after the games ... so it’s almost like he’s still here.”
Although the two brothers have played against each other before, Martin said it will still be strange lining up to be Cody’s opponent.
“We’ve had two matchups already from one exhibition and one regular-season [game],” Martin said, “so I think the weirdest part is just being back where I started. First time back in here in two years. It’ll be fun.”
Yurtseven out of protocols
The Heat will have another man available in Charlotte on Saturday as center Omer Yurtseven exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
“It feels amazing to be back,” Yurtseven said. “Back with the team, back with the guys. Never had this kind of thing happen before. It’s a different feeling.”
Yurtseven said Saturday was his second day back after working out in Miami on Friday. The Heat rookie said he hated watching his team play without him for the three games he was inactive.
“Oh, it sucks,” Yurtseven said. “Your blood is boiling, just like, ‘I want to be out there. I want to be out there.’ Even just cheer them, be there, be present. I guess it just makes you appreciate it way more.”
The Heat big man said he didn’t catch much from home that he wouldn’t have seen at the game.
“I feel like I missed out on stuff rather than catching stuff,” Yurtseven said. “When you’re on the court, you feel that energy and you feel, I guess, the tide way better. I knew what the guys were thinking and saying, kind of reading lips and stuff — it was fun at the same time.”
Yurtseven said he didn’t have any COVID-19 symptoms, but missing time did give him time to catch up with some television.
“Pretty much watching the team, also trying to get some homework out and watch TV and that’s it,” Yurtseven said. “There was this new show, it’s a Turkish show, ‘The Club.’ It’s really good-quality production.”