"The job's not done"- Caleb Martin asks the Heat to focus as they advance to their second NBA Finals in 4 years
The Miami Heat booked their spot in the NBA Finals courtesy of a Game 7 victory over the Boston Celtics. Now, Erik Spoelstra's team will begin preparing for the Denver Nuggets, who have been patiently waiting since sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers.
When speaking to the media following Miami's May 29 victory over Boston, Martin urged his team to remain focused ahead of their NBA Finals showdown.
"As happy as I am...the job's not done."
Caleb Martin reflects on his personal journey while emphasizing the Heat's ultimate goal of winning a championship.
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"I definitely reflect on where I started and the journey its taken to get here," Martin said. "Even as early as the two-way last year. But I think more than anything, it's kind of a weird feeling because I'm also understanding that as happy as I am, as grateful as I am to be here, I also understand that we have four more. The job's not done. We didn't go through what we went through all regular season, and my personal journey to stop here...We got four more."
Caleb Martin has been a big part of the Miami Heat's playoff push this year. In 17 postseason games so far, Martin is averaging 13.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest while shooting 71.6% from two-point range and 42.2% from the perimeter.
Now, both Martin and the Miami Heat will face a stern test against a Denver Nuggets team that plays complete basketball on both sides of the court. As such, Erik Spoelstra will need to ensure his team remains laser-focused over the next few weeks.
Caleb Martin praises the Miami Heat's resiliency.
During the regular season, nobody would have guessed the Miami Heat would be on their way to the NBA Finals. Struggling for consistency and looking frail on both sides of the floor, the Miami Heat stuttered to an 8th-placed finish in the Eastern Conference.
However, since the playoffs began, the Miami Heat have upped their intensity and overcome every obstacle in their way. Following the Heat's Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics, Martin praised his team's resiliency, crediting their ability to overcome adversity.
"It sheds a lot of light on...how resilient our group is, how mentally engaged that we are."
Caleb Martin on Miami winning Game 7 after losing Game 6 at the buzzer.
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"I think it just sheds a lot of light on how resilient our group is," Martin said. "How mentally engaged we are. And how positive we are mentally. No matter the seasons been going. We've been talking about how the regular season has been preparing us for these moments, and I mean, I think that it comes full circle."
Fortunately for the Miami Heat, they have two players, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo, that are never willing to give up and lead by example. Against the Denver Nuggets, Miami will need similar resilience and leadership as they try to overcome a team that is stacked across the board.
Game one of the NBA Finals is scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 1, giving the Miami Heat just 48 hours to prepare for their first game against the Western Conference champions.
However, a seven-game series is long enough, and Erik Spoelstra and his coaching staff will have ample opportunity to make the adjustments they deem necessary.