Powell joins second unit after return to Raptors

TORONTO It’s more cliché than rule but in professional sports you aren’t supposed to lose your job because you get injured.

Toronto Raptors’ Norman Powell suffered a hip pointer in Boston on Nov. 12 and while he didn’t lose his job, the role he returned to after coming back Nov. 22 against New York was different.

The Raptors thrust rookie OG Anunoby into the starting small forward’s role, and while he’s been prone to rookie mistakes, his contributions have been enough to warrant him staying there.

Which leaves Powell back playing with the second unit.

To the credit of the third-year UCLA product, Powell said he has no reason to feel bad about this.

“It doesn’t matter what my role is,” Powell said. “It’s just playing my role to the best of my abilities. Me coming off the bench it doesn’t matter, I’m not mad, I’m not upset. It’s my role and I’m going to do what I have to do to help the team win.”

Fred VanVleet, the point guard with that second unit, said Powell joining them is something everyone meets with open arms.

“The way the bench is rolling I think we have a lot of guys who are trying to jump in and be a part of it so he was one of those guys,” VanVleet said. “That’s the thing about our team. It’s so unselfish. Guys don’t really care where they play or when they play.”