Hornets’ Cody Martin grateful to be back on the court. ‘It’s been a long road’

If any more proof was necessary to punctuate just how much the guy who wears No. 11 for the Charlotte Hornets had been missed, his return on Saturday should suffice.

Cody Martin could barely utter a word while explaining the nightmarish scenario he’s been entangled in for the better part of the last year without being greeted by stragglers as they strolled by. And that included the Hornets’ star point guard.

“Welcome back Twin,” LaMelo Ball shouted, flashing that toothy smile. “Twin in the building!”

Nearly 12 months removed from his last meaningful NBA action and with an injury-ravaged roster in need of a boost, Martin made his return to the Hornets’ lineup in their 102-95 loss to Denver. With the holiday season in full force, Martin received the perfect gift, one that he’s been waiting to unwrap. Logging 17 minutes off the bench and posting six points was just the beginning.

Simply being on a basketball court — his safe haven and place where he can escape and have fun — during a game for the first occasion since Jan. 14 served as a mini-victory for the 28-year-old guard/forward.

“It’s always nice, man,” Martin said. “It’s been a long time. Obviously, there are some things that I need to get back rhythm-wise, and get my wind and stuff like that, but I’m blessed. It’s been a long road to get back to this point and I’m just happy to be back with my guys. I’m just looking forward to us continuing to grow together, especially when we get everybody back.

“We’ve had a rough time these last two years with injuries, so hopefully it’s about us now turning that corner, us playing collectively and finally getting to play together as a team.”

Playing in only seven outings in 2022-23 — and being sidelined for the Hornets’ previous 64 games nursing lingering soreness in his knee following last year’s arthroscopic surgery — was extremely painful for Martin.

Limited to strictly individual drills since training camp until ramping things up recently by joining full team practice sessions, Martin spent the bulk of the last two-plus months slowly increasing his activity levels.

Frustration grew during all those days of lingering pain, providing more than a few moments of psychological annoyance.

“Specifics-wise, I could go and talk about it all day with just trying to figure out what the exact reasoning is, and the reality of it is I know that I wasn’t right,” Martin said. “My body wasn’t feeling good. I was having pain and I wasn’t feeling like myself. And it was a variety of different things. It’s tough, especially when you are out that long.

“It’s tough when you know you are not yourself and you are preparing and doing everything you can, and you are still not there. You want to get back out there, but in reality you are not helping yourself or helping your team. So, the best thing I can do is make sure that I am myself so that I can contribute the way I need to.”

That’s what steams Martin. Uncertainty surrounding his health led to some questioning his desire to play, suggesting complacency may have possibly set in following him landing a lucrative free agent deal.

It’s quite the opposite, in fact, for Martin. A gym rat by nature, he insists he didn’t let the detractors and social media trolls bother him during the winding path to playing again.

“At the end of the day, nobody knows but a select few and, No. 1, that’s how it should be,” Martin said. “People are going to say what they want to say and if you are on the outside looking in, it’s always easy to speculate whatever it is, especially if you don’t know everything in detail.

“But I can’t control that. All I can control is making sure that I feel (like) myself and do everything in my power to make sure that I am preparing myself so that whenever I am on the court, I’m doing everything I can to be Cody.”

Martin got thrown into the fold by breaking down the team huddle before the Hornets ran out of the tunnel and onto the floor against the Nuggets, signaling how eager his teammates were to have him back. They playfully gave him a love tap or two just for good measure.

“I was happy for him,” PJ Washington said. “Just to see him out there doing his thing, it’s a blessing. I haven’t played with him since the first game of my fourth year in San Antonio. So, just to see him back out here, it’s been a minute and I’m just happy he’s back. It’s great.”

For a defensive-oriented coach like Steve Clifford, Martin’s presence is a big boost. Clifford hasn’t been able to utilize Martin how he envisioned when he took the job in 2021, but that may finally change.

And it excites him given the Hornets have to do something to plug the leaks in the NBA’s worst-ranked defense.

“He’s a two-way player, which is what you need in this league,” Clifford said. “He can guard primary scorers which would help us a lot — that’s been one of our issues. Two years ago when he played a lot, his 3-point shooting went way up. So He played well at both ends of the floor, and I think he brings a level of toughness and competitive spirit that’s hard to find. So, I think he can add a lot to our team.”

He already is. Not long after Martin’s first outing back, rookie Nick Smith Jr. asked Martin to show him how to better slide his feet to stay in solid defensive position. Barely 30 minutes after the game’s conclusion, school was in session.

Professor Martin soaked up every bit of it, too, leaving him beaming.

“It’s awesome,” Martin said. “It’s been a long time and it’s tough. I’m trying to get to where I need to be and you go through moments when you are wondering, ‘When is that time? When is that time?’ Being around the guys, we were here but it seems like we are on two different schedules because they are doing one thing and I’m doing another thing.

“So, it’s good to be in the mix, and collectively do stuff together, and be back with the team, and really just kind of get back to it really. So, it’s been nice and you could tell. I think we are all excited, and the main focus is getting back to it, and doing everything that I can to contribute and for us to put some wins together. And I think we are going to do that.”