Mavericks' nightmare stretch just sparked a breakout nobody saw coming

The Dallas Mavericks have now lost 13 of their last 15 games after last night's 100-87 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Caleb Martin's play continues to be a major plus. Martin returned to the lineup against Oklahoma City after missing Friday night's game due to low back soreness, and he did not disappoint in his 30 minutes of action.

He finished with a season-high 18 points while shooting 6-11 from the field and 3-5 from downtown, continuing to prove he has taken a massive turn since the beginning of the season. Martin looked unplayable to begin this season and at the end of last season after Dallas acquired him, but those days are behind him.

Caleb Martin is turning into the player that Dallas expected

Since January 14 (his last 18 games), Martin is averaging 7.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 51.5 percent from downtown. For context, he was averaging 1.9 points per game while shooting 16.7 percent from beyond the arc in the previous 18 games, and Mavericks fans were tired of his limited production.

Martin attributes this major swing to increased confidence and getting more accustomed to the role that Jason Kidd has assigned to him. He has always been a great defender as a Maverick, but his offense beginning to follow suit could pay dividends as Dallas begins a new era next season.

Martin has gone from looking like one of the most negative assets in the NBA to a real rotation player, and his resurgence has been one of the bigger stories for the Mavs over the last few months. Dallas desperately needed him to turn into someone that Kidd can rely upon on a nightly basis, and he has done just that.

Why Caleb Martin matters for the Mavericks' future

His ability to knock down open threes, attack off the dribble, and finish around the rim has been intriguing, and he continues to look more confident in all areas of his game. Against the Thunder, Martin nailed multiple corner threes and converted some tough buckets at the rim and from the mid-range off the dribble.

His offensive game is becoming more rounded at the perfect time for Dallas, and he looks like a guarantee to be in the Mavericks' rotation to begin the 2026-27 season.

This season has been a wash for Dallas due to all of the moving parts and injuries, making the 2026-27 season more crucial than ever. The Mavericks can't afford to miss the playoffs again next season, and this will be their first chance at building a real contender around Cooper Flagg.

Martin is showing that he has what it takes to be a rotation player for Kidd moving forward, and him continuing to grow while staying healthy will definitely be something to keep an eye on for the rest of this season. Him going from an unplayable asset to a deadly 3-and-D wing for Dallas is not something that Mavericks fans had on their bingo card to begin the 2025-26 season, and his play is one of the few silver linings from a brutal stretch.