The 76ers' Caleb Martin is already looking like the bargain of the offseason

The Philadelphia 76ers were predictably mixed early in the season. The club has lost two All-Stars, one of whom is indisputably its best player, and has only won one of three competitions so far, although no one would call that a disappointment given the early injury threat.

One player who has helped the team stay afloat is Caleb Martin, a new face in Philly who arrived in free agency thanks to a stroke of luck in the franchise's favor. After passing up a lucrative contract extension with the Heat, the market proved to be quite dull for him, leading him to sign with the 76ers.

In the first three games, Martin scored 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per appearance and played a significant number of minutes, 36 per game. Nick Nurse obviously quickly trusted him and decided to promote him to the starting lineup in just his second game as a Sixer after initially coming off the bench.

Martin was as versatile as advertised. What he lacks in height, he makes up for in intangibles on both ends. While his three-point shooting has left a lot to be desired so far (currently at a 14.3 percent conversion rate), he has been quite impressive on defense as a switch stopper and as a liaison on offense.

The 29-year-old's minutes will likely dwindle when Paul George returns to the hardwood, but there's little reason to doubt his ability as a nightly rotation cog for Nurse and the coaching staff. Barring any injuries, he will likely remain a key part of the team's offense this season.

The best thing about Martin so far is his sheer adaptability and versatility. Therefore, he should have no problem being the team's stopgap, starting games when needed and coming off the bench to bolster the second unit.

Heck, even if his numbers return to normal when he was in Miami, the 76ers will be only too happy to take them. You can bet that his relatively meager contract will age like fine wine over time.