Portland Trail Blazers get Norman Powell in deadline deal. More moves coming?
Norman Powell
So, what are the Blazers getting in Mr. Powell? Like GTJ, he’s having a career year. Powell currently ranks 13th in three-pointers made per game at 2.8, and he’s 10th in three-point percentage at 43.9 percent. He’s shooting just under 50 percent from the field, 87 percent at the charity stripe, So far in 2020-21 Powell averages 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 19.6 points per game. That’s all better than GTJ. Powell was starting for Toronto and it remains to be seen if that’ll continue in Rip City or if he’ll come off the bench.
One thing the Blazers lacked all year long is a spark off the bench. A guy who can come in and swing the momentum of the game. Whether that’s being a spark for a lethargic team or taking the team to next level.
Toronto went going with a small ball lineup this year, playing 6’4″ Powell at small forward. If Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts wanted to do the same, Powell could easily start over Derrick Jones Jr or Robert Covington. However, he can be more valuable coming off the bench in a backcourt tandem with Anfernee Simons.
By coming off the bench, he relieves Carmelo Anthony of some of the second unit’s scoring responsibilities. It’s unfair to ask Anthony to be the main scorer off the bench at this stage in his career. He can still do it, but this isn’t the Knicks or Nuggets version of Melo. Powell is another legit NBA scorer that opposing teams need to be aware of and plan for accordingly.