Norman Powell – Stock Up
Wahey, Norm is back!
It’s been a 21-game absence since we last saw Powell on the court, November 5th to be exact. He’s probably coming back at the perfect time too, what with the number of niggling injuries the Raptors have on their roster currently.
Powell came off the bench against Indiana on Wednesday night and it looked like his stint on the court might have ended up a transient appearance. Within five minutes Powell was laid out by a strong, illegal, screen from Pacers center Domantas Sabonis, splitting his lip open in the process. Ouch.
Powell was furious with the non-call and then made his way to the locker room to get looked at by the medical staff. Norm re-emerged later in the game and while his contribution in the stats was kept to a minimum, just one basket along with a rebound, an assist and two turnovers (boo) Powell can really slot himself back into the rotation at the perfect time. His blend of high-intensity defense and slashing ability definitely has a place in the team, Toronto has a litany of lengthy defenders who can guard multiple players. What harm is one more?
Powell is a year removed from his hellish 2018 season where his impact on the team was largely negative, his minutes dropped and was a Coaches DNP multiple times too. This year can be an up-turn for Norm, the injury has clearly hindered his start to the year but there’s time left for Powell to make a positive impact on the team. He’s even shooting 37-percent from three, albeit in a small sample size. Toronto wants nothing more than to see the Norman Powell we once knew, I remember that steal and dunk against the Pacers all too well.
Norman didn’t play well on Wednesday night, but this is more of a welcome back than anything else.