(Great diary from Kfan in Korea. - TZ)

Nice article over at The Bee about Kevin Martin's progress this season. There's some good stuff there on Kmart as a go to guy and his improvement from his rookie season. I'd rank it as a must read.

I think we forget how late Kevin was drafted, and don't always consider that when discussing his worth/progress.

So I've done some statistical research on some of the categories Kevin is in the leaders for this season and how he compares to others ranked near him.

PER
Kevin ranks 21st this season with a PER of 21.10. Lebron leads with a PER of 29.47. Here are the top 21 in order with their draft position in parenthesis:

Lebron(1), Chris Paul(4), Amare(9), Garnett(5), Dirk(9), Kobe(13), Duncan(1), Manu(57), Chris Bosh(4), Billups(3), Howard(1), Al Jefferson(15), Yao(1), Bynum(10), Boozer(34), Carl Landry(31), Wade(5), Gasol(3), Melo(3), Nash(15), Kmart(26).

Of the 20 ahead of Kevin, only 3(Manu, Boozer and Landry) were picked later. There are four #1s, 14 top 10s and only 4 not in the top 15.

Points Per Game
Kevin ranks #6 at 23.7 ppg. Lebron leads the league with 30.3. Top 10 in order with draft position in parenthesis:

Lebron(1), Bryant(13), AI(1), Melo(3), Amare(9), Kmart(26), Dirk(9), Redd(43), Richard Jefferson(13), Bosh(4).

That's 6 top 10 picks 8 top 13 and only Kevin and Redd outside the top 13.

Points Per Shot
Howard leads the league at 1.73pps. Kevin is #3 at 1.58pps. Top 10, draft in parenthesis:

Howard(1), Amare(9), Kmart(26), Josh Childress(6), Corey Maggette(13), Chandler(2), Billups(3), Shaq(1), Biedrins(11), Manu(57).

5 top 5s and only 2 not in the top 13.

Free Throws Made per Game
Kevin leads the league at 8.2FTM/G. Maggette is #2 at 8.0 and Howard is #10 at 6.5. Top 10, draft in parenthesis:

Kmart(26), Corey Maggette(13), AI(1), Kobe(13), Lebron(1), Bosh(4), Amare(9), Wade(5), Richard Jefferson(13), Howard(1).

3 #1s 7 top 10s and Kevin is the only one not picked in the top 13.

True Shooting %
Amare is #1 at .654TS%. Kevin is 9th at .618. Top 10, draft in parenthesis:

Amare(9), Josh Childress(6), Nash(15), Biedrins(11), Chandler(2), Mike Miller(5), Howard(1), Billups(3), Kmart(26), Mikki Moore(-).

Only Kmart and Mikki not in top 15.

Some other categories Kevin is among the leaders:

Offensive Win Shares: #11
Offensive Rating: #10
FT%: #12

Just for perspective his Minutes per game are only 39th.

For more perspective the #26 pick of the 10 drafts prior to Kmart:

03 - Ndudi Ebi
02 - John Salmons
01 - Samuel Dalembert
00 - Mamadou N'Diaye
99 - Vonteego Cummings
98 - Samuel Jacobson
97 - Charles Smith
96 - Jerome Williams
95 - Sherell Ford
94 - Charlie Ward

And finally the 2004 Draft class   included Rafael Araujo, Luke Jackson, Robert Swift, Kris Humphries, Kurt Snyder, J.R. Smith, Dorell Wright, Jameer Nelson, Pavel Podkolzine, Viktor Khryapa, Sergei Monia, Delonte West and Tony Allen picked before Kevin.

Just some things to keep in mind when discussing Kevin Martin.