Kevin Martin told a group of reporters after Tuesday's embarrassing 118-99 loss in Denver that he was fine physically. Once the throng of reporters cleared, your friendly neighborhood columnist approached Martin and said: "It looks like you're playing on one leg out there."
A tired smile appeared on Martin's face and he asked: "Is it really that noticeable?"
My response was to simply nod my head affirmatively.
"When I decided to come back I just decided to ride this season out," Martin expounded. "I'll worry about it in April. I don't know how to look at it. I just felt like I was ready to go back out there and play again. I'll just continue to gut it out. You're right, I do feel like I'm playing on one leg right now.
"But actually, I feel like I'm playing better right now than I did on two legs," Martin said with a chuckle.
There was definitely some truth to Martin's words. Despite his lack of lift, Martin played solid basketball in Denver dropping 25 points on the Nuggets in 32 minutes of run.
Martin is not one to make excuses, but the reality of the situation is that his ankle is still not healthy and likely won't be for the rest of this season.
"I know Kevin, and I know what he's capable of doing," asserted Sacramento head coach Kenny Natt. "I know his explosiveness and that's a huge part of his game. I can see when he goes in for a lay-up that he doesn't really explode off it like he can. Those are the things I see everyday in practice and in games. So he's not 100 percent. He's getting closer and closer to being 100 percent. I don't see him favoring it as much, but he still doesn't have all of his explosiveness."
Martin is now caught in a tough position. If he plays hurt people will criticize his performance. However, if he shuts it down and waits to get healthy people will call him soft.
"I think that's good for him," said Natt. "If you're going to be a franchise player you need that type of pressure. The only way to get used to is to take it upon your shoulders and take the good with the bad. Young guys have to learn that. Kevin is in that category. Yes, we are building around him, but he has to take that on and show that leadership. I just keep encouraging him to show that leadership out on the floor. It's getting better. He still has a ways to go, but it's getting better.
"He's fighting. He's showing that fight and tenacity to go out and play on it. There are a lot of guys that may bailout, but he's decided he's going to play. 80 percent of Kevin Martin is better than a lot of guys. I'm ecstatic with his progress and that he's sucking it up and giving us what he has out there."
The injury combined with all of the losing the Kings have endured has made this an especially tough year for Martin.
"It's the first year I've been through something like this," Martin admitted. "At the beginning of the year we thought we had it going on as a team and then we suffered an injury. Ever since then it's just gone downhill. But the only thing we can do is continue to work hard and fight as a team and just know in the back of our heads that it will get better in the future."
So when will the future start for the Kings? Is this a team that should be in playoff contention next season?
"That's just hard," said Martin. "You never know what's going to happen. Like this year we started 0-4 but then we got to 3-4 before we suffered the injury. There's a lot of what if, could have, should have. You just never know where we could have gone. At some point we have to establish some momentum and see where it takes us in the future."
The Kings certainly have some nice young pieces to build around in Martin, Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes. That said, it's not outlandish to believe that Sacramento could finish with the worst record in the league at the end of this season on the heels of Wednesday's loss to the Washington Wizards.
Someone much smarter than me once said: "When you find yourself in hell, keep moving."
Don't expect Martin's legs to stop moving anytime soon.
