Caleb Martin’s opening stretch of the 2025-26 season was defined by a brutal offensive slump that relegated him to the absolute fringes of the rotation. He looked completely lost on the floor, bleeding value in short bursts due to extreme passivity. This was glaringly obvious during the 11/17 vs POR matchup, where he posted a catastrophic -16.9 Impact score in just five minutes without attempting a single field goal. Even when given an extended leash, his scoring touch remained completely absent. During the 11/30 vs LAC game, Martin bricked all five of his shot attempts to finish with zero points in 21 minutes. However, his Impact score in that contest sat at a much more palatable -3.1 because he salvaged his minutes by crashing the glass for seven rebounds and generating extra possessions through sheer hustle. Contrast that with his six-point outing on 10/30 vs IND. While he finally saw the ball go through the hoop on 2-of-3 shooting, his -1.3 Impact score remained stubbornly negative because he failed to secure the glass or facilitate the offense, managing just one rebound and one assist in 13 minutes.

Caleb Martin spent the bulk of this stretch as an offensive ghost, enduring a brutal mid-winter slump before a late-January promotion to the starting five jolted him awake. He was practically invisible during a dismal 01/13 vs BKN appearance. Logging just 10 minutes, he managed a single point and posted a staggering -18.4 Impact because his total lack of shot creation and sluggish defensive rotations actively hurt the bench unit. He finally flipped the script on 01/15 vs DEN. Attacking the basket with sudden aggression, Martin poured in 15 points on hyper-efficient 7-for-9 shooting to earn a stellar +13.3 Impact. That vital outburst earned him a starting gig, but his maddening passivity quickly returned. Look at his 01/23 vs GSW start, where he logged 20 minutes but hoisted just two shots; he scored zero points and dragged the first unit down with a -16.1 Impact because his sheer reluctance to shoot crippled the team's half-court spacing.