"First, there's his speed. In trying to understand why Kevin Martin is special, this is the easiest place to begin.

"He can go from zero to 60 in about three steps," Rockets assistant coach Elston Turner said. "He's exceptional that way."

Martin's speed isn't blinding. It doesn't take your breath away. He's so smooth and efficient that he isn't always easy to appreciate.

Only later, only after you've seen the points pile up, can you get your mind around the fact what he's doing is unique.

"He plays a kind of lull-you-to-sleep game," Rockets forward Shane Battier said. "But then he has a burst of speed."

There's another part of Martin's game that's also special, and yet, it also defies an easy description.

"If you look at the numbers, you could say he's just a guy who jacks up shots," Martin said. "But I'm not that guy."

Indeed he's not. He's 10th in the NBA in scoring at 23.6 points per game, but 31st in field-goal attempts.

"You look at the stat sheet, and he'll have eight shots and 25 points," Turner said.

That's where speed comes in. In other words, he's impossible to defend because as he slices into the lane, as he circles the perimeter, there are few defenders fast enough to stay with him."