Raptors’ Powell scaling new heights
Norman Powell’s outstanding play has simply not been talked about enough. That’s likely because of all of the time he has missed due to a variety of injuries. Otherwise, people would be discussing where Powell ranks in the field for a couple of prestigious awards — sixth man of the year ( he’s been one of the highest- scoring and most efficient reserves in the NBA) and most improved player ( he’s doubled his scoring average and has connected at a far higher clip than ever before).
Perhaps Powell’s most impressive performance yet came in Thursday’s win over Golden State. He scored a career-high 37 points by attacking the rim relentlessly and also raining three- pointers down on the Warriors, giving them a taste of their own medicine. Powell even stripped Stephen Curry of the ball at one point.
But Powell doesn’t like talking about himself or his capabilities, not after a breakout performance.
“Honestly, I feel like it’s a broken record with me saying it, but I work on my game, I work on my craft year in, year out, day in, day out and I go out there and help the team win and go out there and play,” Powell said in Toronto’s locker-room.
“Good games, bad games, it doesn’t matter to me as a long as the coaches and my teammates trust me to go out there make winning play I go out there and believe in myself.
“Honestly, I don’t look at the stat sheet. I go out there to help the team win, I only care about the two scores on the scoreboard. That’s how I approach the game. I wasn’t worried about what I had tonight.”
Powell’s coach, Nick Nurse, and his teammates loved what they saw though.
“He was just kind of bolting up and making shots. Getting out in transition, making layups and doing what Norm has been doing,” said Kyle Lowry.
“We need it. Especially with Freddie ( Vanvleet) being out, Marc (Gasol) being out.”
Powell had a 12- point fourth quarter against Phoenix and a 19-point third against the Warriors.
While Powell tries to stay evenkeeled, Lowry said he’s seen a different confidence in the guard this season. Nurse has noticed it, too, and is running more plays for the second-longest serving member of the team after Lowry.
“We kind of feel him going and we start running some stuff where he can turn hard and get into the paint, we ran a couple of plays for threes and he was in that mode where you’d be silly not to give him an action or a play to touch it at least,” Nurse said.
“When he gets in that mode, the ball seems to get to him and he’s got a variety of stuff going. He’ll get to the hole, hit a three, hit a pull up. He’ll get a lot, make a lot of good decisions.”
It will be interesting to see how Powell fits in once Vanvleet returns (possibly as early as Sunday in Sacramento, or the next night in Utah). Lowry and Vanvleet are Nurse’s starters and closers, but Powell’s also had a standout season. It’s a nice luxury, one would suppose.
“This is what I’d hoped (would happen) with him this year,” Nurse said. “Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, what are you gonna do (without Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green)?’ And I was like, ‘ Well, there’s lots of new opportunities here.’ That included him.
“I think that we were hoping, I mean, maybe this is beyond a little bit, but that’s good, right? We have a couple guys that are maybe keep going up to levels where we’re surprised, even. His maturity level, though, I just don’t see the mistakes or the turnovers or the lapses on ( defence) or whatever. He just is playing like so much more of a complete basketball player.
“We have a group of guys who have tons of confidence and can go out there and leave it all on the line and have a lot to prove,” Powell said of himself and others on the roster.
“I said at the beginning of the year we do have a lot of dogs that are trying to make a name for themselves out here in the league. We scratch and claw to get wins and fight for possessions and that’s what’s really helped us this year and allows us to trust one another.”