Finding comparisons for every active player on the Toronto Raptors

Two perfect matches from recent history

Norm Powell: Bobby Phills

There may be more recent players that also appropriately fit the bill, but I’m breaking my rule on this comparison because it fits to a T.

Bobby Phills, who died in 2000 in a tragic car accident, was a Hornets’ staple. His role was to score from the perimeter, using a combination of strength and speed – and create for his teammates. He was the team’s secondary ball-handler next to David Wesley, and played good enough defense to disrupt opposing offenses.

Norman Powell is having a similar season this year. After a slumping sophomore campaign, Powell has seemingly found himself in a productive groove in his third year. He’s basically the team’s primary bench scoring option at this point, and – like Phills – excels because of his speed off the dribble, with the strength to finish through contact.

Fred VanVleet: Derek Fisher

VanVleet is solidifying a role on the Raptors that has quickly become necessary to the team’s success. While he’s still playing primarily off the bench, VanVleet can be seen at the end of a game next to pieces of the starting lineup – the most trusted group on the roster.

His ability to knock down clutch shots has gifted coach Nick Nurse a release valve on the offensive end, and on his best days, a lock-down defender who loves pressuring the ball full-court. Derek Fisher shared these qualities with VanVleet during his championship-winning career, most notably so the ability to unconsciously hit big shots at the end of a game.