What's the deal with Remy Martin?
Streakers—I’ll admit the headline is a little excessive (I crave that sweet, sweet engagement!) because Remy Martin had a nice game against Mizzou during an absolutely delightful blowout. Throughout the early campaign, Remy has shown us that he can make plays in space without needing to score, though it’s been a highly unusual ride so far. In the game against UTEP, Martin visibly and theatrically passed up shot attempts, the latest chapter in the Martin-Self psychic war. He ended up with zero points, which is not a scoreline I ever expected from Martin no matter how bad it was going.
What’s going on here, and should we be alarmed about Martin’s progress so far?
Yes and no, I think. This J Newell breakdown is a helpful look at what Martin does well, and how it might fly under the radar. While Martin has forced up shots at times, and embarked a few corkscrewing-but-futile drives, he finds others where they can do the most damage and is a beguiling passer in transition.
In the newsletter I’ve pleaded for KU to run more—they’re big, fast, and decisive this season, thanks to the highly sharpened play of Christian Braun and Ochai Agbaji—and Martin unlocks the devastation. He has to avoid mistakes to stay on the floor, which is your textbook Bill Self conundrum, but the more he stacks up these small, team-enhancing qualities, the more rope he’ll get.1
I think I like Martin. I think I like him a lot. KU rarely has a player like this, with a game that breaks the modern-era KU mold, where being well-rounded is far more important than being a skill specialist. Martin’s speciality is “Offense.” Martin’s shot is on the flat side, and the motion it requires looks a little jagged. It often goes in. Martin’s shooting 52% from the field overall, and 39% from three. Both of those numbers might see a dip when Martin starts using the (necessary) volume, but yeah, that’ll do. If a lane-punching guard is shooting 60-something from 2, he needs to be shooting more.
The party line for KU’s success this season is that it depends on Martin, who KU will need to bail them out of stalled possessions in clutch situations, or to generate offense when KU might not have 30 seconds to work with. While I think that’s true, I also think it undermines how well Braun and Agbaji have been finding their spots this year. Martin can set good things in motion, and as this year’s Jayhawk roster keeps fleshing out their own individual roles, the ceiling just gets higher and higher.
I’m conscious of the fact that I started this post with a panicky headline, only to gas Martin up for several paragraphs. I would half-argue that this duality could be consistent with the Remy Martin Experience so far; it’s been strange, uneven, and frustrating at times. Something is there though, and it’s imperative that the Jayhawks heighten it as much as possible.
I’m sure many signatures Remories© (trademarking this) are in front of us. Run Jayhawks Run!
Watch out for the Latrell Jossell revenge game
Latrell Jossell, gone too soon!
Jossell never had a shot at KU. He’s a short flamethrower who needs some volume to wreak havoc, and there’s just no way he’d ever stay on the floor long enough to really get going. Bill Self does not approve of Chucking. It’s a shame, because it’s a player archetype I absolutely love; an undersized and therefore largely disadvantaged player finding his spots in the game, and somehow completely bending the game to his or her will. This is how Steph changed the NBA, after all. In conclusion, Steph Curry ≈ Latrell Jossell, I’ll show my work later.
This is a Jayhawk homer newsletter but I hope Jossell gets 50 on us with 10 threes. We never got to see what he could do at Kansas, and that’s just the cost of a 82.1% winning percentage. There’s very little “boom or bust!” to it, and for all my visions of Kansas someday playing like Villanova—five switchable players who all can shoot it—Bill Self is definitely mentally foregrounding their 36-point dud against Baylor instead of, you know, the multiple titles and famous Jayhawk thrashings at the hands of the Wildcats. I do not know that Self will ever beat Jay Wright head-to-head again.
Anyway! Back to Jossell—happy for him that he found a situation that suits his style. SFA is in the 150s in Kenpom, so it would appear they’re not quite sniffing the tournament. But if they happen to end up there, I’m absolutely picking them to win a Round 1 stunner, carried by Jossell. Let my undersized friend cook!
That game is tonight at 8PM. Can’t wait to see what kind of broadcast crew they throw at us this time.
That Tae game-winner, LOL
Absolutely bonkers ending here. That Shai shot is preposterous! Fading to his right (harder to do, a right-hander wants to be fading against the grain) he swishes an absolute prayer while Temple is clearly trying to foul. It was a LOL moment that also doubled as a example of pure basketball prowess, which is the best kind of moment for my $.
AND THEN *IT *HAPPENS.
It’s the longest game-winner in 25 years, and Devontes’ second game-winner of the season. I’m really happy for him. The Pelicans suck, and the Zion Williamson saga only gets more and more depressing, but he’s getting burn and flipping it often. Going for the glass there is so elite. He still can’t make 2s but why try for 2s when you have a 61-footer in the bag?
Streak-y gifts?
Looking for a gift for the Jayhawk fan in your life? Look no further! Because Streak Talk gift certificates [John Wick voice] Yeah I’m thinking they’re available!
If you buy a gift subscription, reply directly to the receipt with the giftee’s email, and I’ll hook them up with some EXTREMELY RARE Streak Talk ephemera.
Thanks for reading, as always. R C J H.
I watch more pro basketball than I watch college basketball—probably a lot more—but I try my hardest to not let that paint the newsletter unnecessarily. They are different games, and should be treated as such. BUT I have this funny thought about Martin in the NBA. His skill set (pushing in transition, lightning quick shot creation, eyes toward the corners) is either the most usable toolbox for the pro game OR the least valuable. I know, I know—his game defies all logic.