Raptors Rapture
Fansided

Raptors ink Norman Powell to serious-money contract – how we feel

By Brian Boake

TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 25: Norman Powell
TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 25: Norman Powell /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Raptors showed they believe in Powell, signing him to a major contract extension. Will the investment in Norman pay off?

The Toronto Raptors have wrapped up Norman Powell and delivered him to themselves for the next 4 seasons. The team announced a deal with the 24-year-old swingman: 4 years, $42 million, with the big money to begin next season. In 2017-18, he’ll be paid relative peanuts, which translates to under $1.5M.

Obviously Masai Ujiri and the coaches believe Norman is ready for his moments in the spotlight. The UCLA 4-year man (yes, there still are such players in the NBA) will make more in 18-19 than C.J. Miles, the current placeholder at the small forward spot.

We’re happy for Norman, who seems like a quality human being. But what do we think from a basketball perspective?

TORONTO, CANADA – SEPTEMBER 25: Norman Powell
TORONTO, CANADA – SEPTEMBER 25: Norman Powell /

Turning athleticism into production

With Terrence Ross now in Orlando (a move which may yet backfire on the Raptors), Norman is the most athletic man on the roster. While undersized at an on-his-tiptoes 6’4″, his leaping power is prodigious. He’s perhaps the fastest sprinter in town, and he can move at warp speed while dribbling.

For  Powell to be the complete wingman the Raptors have been crying out for, he’s going to need improvement in several facets of his game. While I love his fearless attacking of the hoop, there are times when his reach exceeds his grasp. In other words, he finds himself too far from the hoop and compelled to take low-percentage flip shots. Norman needs to learn the beauty of the drive and kick.

If he can draw defensive attention to the rim, then find open shooters on the wing (or dropping off passes to JV or Serge), Norman’s value will double. The main beneficiary of Norman’s righteous drives could be DeMar DeRozan, if this summer’s supposed hard work on his long-ball shooting has brought improvement.

Powell is one of the Raptors’ best on the ball defenders, despite his relatively short time in the league. He muscles up to larger men, and uses his active hands to bother them. Norman reminds me of Avery Bradley, another smallish 3-&-D man who plays bigger than his size.

More PT needed

While the idea of Norman as point guard has its advocates, I’m not one of them. I’d rather see him receive a pass, then go, using his dazzling first step to beat his defender. He can also use that pass for a catch and shoot. Powell hit his 3-pointers at a 32.4% rate last season, which was down significantly from his 40.4% rookie mark. However, he found his stroke in last season’s playoffs, making an eye-opening 44.1% of his attempts.

Turning potential into production is the task of the coach, and Dwane Casey’s utilization of Norman has been questionable. Too often, if he’s not starting, he never sees the floor. Coach Casey needs to establish a workable pattern for Norman’s minutes.

The Raptors have been searching for a small forward for seemingly forever. If the team is ever to get off the pretenders-not-contenders treadmill, a quality starter at this spot must be identified. Toronto management has decided Norman is worth a hefty bet, and we certainly hope they are right.

[all stats courtesy of www.basketball-reference.com]

More from Raptors Rapture

Home/Raptors News