Powell still getting into game shape
Having missed a massive chunk of the season and only recently returned to the Toronto Raptors lineup, Norman Powell considers himself a work in progress.
Powell, who is coming back from a shoulder injury, showed no ill effects after playing 26 and 25 minutes in a weekend backto-back, following up his 15-minute post-injury debut against Indiana on Wednesday.
But Powell is his own toughest critic.
“I’m mad at myself. On the defensive end, I had a couple lapses that I shouldn’t have,” Powell said after Saturday’s loss to the Sixers in Philadelphia that saw the home side shoot 54 per cent from the field.
“But it’s just getting back to the ingredients. As far as being able to anticipate plays, I feel a step slow on that end,” Powell said. “But I feel like this is a prime time, I got to get back into it. Get into a groove, get back into playing. Defensively is what I look at, when I assess my game and see where I can get better. But it’s just about rhythm and getting the reads down.”
Powell buys into the adage that the first game back is the easy part; reintegrating into the speed and rigours of the NBA game gets more challenging the next few times out.
“Yeah, definitely, the second game back I was gassed. I had a lot of adrenalin (in Game 1), everybody was like, ‘Man, you look good,’” said a smiling Powell.
“And then the second game, my first couple stints, those first couple of minutes I was definitely a little gassed, a little tired. But the more I play, the more reps I get, the better my conditioning is going to be.”
Powell scored two points against Indiana, 11 against Cleveland and 13 against Philadelphia.