Toronto Raptors: Norman Powell will be better than ever when he returns

Norman Powell sprained his left ankle in Toronto’s last game, just the latest development in what’s been an injury-marred campaign for the Raptors’ guard. Thing is, he’ll be better because of it. Here’s why:

To put it mildly, it’s been a trying season for Toronto Raptors guard, Norman Powell. He’s had to deal with a plethora of injuries, and the list just got one entry longer.

In Monday’s win over the easy-to-hate Jazz, Powell lasted all of 90 seconds before a left ankle sprain forced him down the tunnel, with Toronto’s medical staff following closely behind. This has been a recurring theme in the guard’s 2019-20 “story.” – altogether Powell has been inactive for 20 games, and one can safely assume that number will rise shortly, beginning with Saturday’s game, Toronto’s first home game in quite some time. The Raptors host the Detroit Pistons at Scotiabank Arena in their first game back following five straight on the road.

Sidebar: ‘Tis a real bummer that Norm won’t get a chance to “flex his muscles” in front of former head coach, Dwane Casey. You know Dwane would watch like a proud father, cheering on the inside.

Powell might very well be shut down and held out until the playoffs begin. The good news? He’s a different player now. Might we all ask ourselves how his contract fits Toronto’s books now? It seems like a good time to revisit that conversation. Not here to rub faces in pies, I’d rather an elbow-five (#coronavirus) from a stranger who, like me, is less concerned about pandemics and more stoked about the Norman Powell Era we find ourselves immersed in at the moment.

Before his latest setback in a season full of them, Powell appeared in five games where he averaged 28.0 points while shooting 52.7 percent from the field. It’s easily the best stretch of play anybody has seen from Powell to date. If it weren’t for this latest injury likely ending the guard’s regular season, Powell was well on his way to crafting what would’ve been a fitting tribute to his childhood hero, Kobe Bryant. Sportsnet’s Michael Grange wrote about Powell’s mindset following Bryant’s death in a recent piece, you can find it here.

No “rust” for the wicked

Injuries take time to fully recover from, with most players needing one or more games to get their feet back under them after time away from the hardcourt. But based on what we saw from Norman Powell during Toronto’s road trip out west, the guard is not somebody who needs time to get acclimated following a long layoff. If he is indeed going to miss the rest of the regular season and only return for the playoffs, Powell must avoid any rust build-up in his game; a postseason environment is not the ideal place for rusty machinery.

Fresh off winning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Powell’s ankle bent the wrong way which has, yet again, tossed his season into a state of flux. If there’s a silver lining, ankle sprains are pretty straightforward from a rehab standpoint. My five-year-old niece would likely have some idea what to do if her friend tripped on a rock during recess.

It was reported after Monday’s win in Utah that Powell did not require crutches or a walking boot when leaving the building. Instead, Jamaal Magloire gave ‘wittle Norm a piggyback to the team charter.

All joking aside, Powell has proven capable of bouncing back from injury, doing so multiple times this season, each time returning with a vengeance. His recent run of dominance should give him confidence and position Powell for playoff success. And who knows, Powell could return sooner than anticipated which would be, for a change, some good fortune for the Toronto Raptors.

Lineup questions await Toronto Raptors once both Powell and VanVleet return

While Norman Powell is set to begin yet another “DNP-Inactive” streak, Fred VanVleet has already missed six games with shoulder discomfort. At some point, both players will be healthy and available for Nick Nurse. But only one of them will be given a spot in Toronto’s starting five-man unit upon returning to the floor. Who will win the day? My bet is, Nurse puts VanVleet beside Kyle Lowry and shifts Powell to the bench where he’ll hope the guard replicates the success he’s had as VanVleet’s fill-in.

Alternatively, Nurse could start Powell over VanVleet and task the pending free agent with carrying the Raptors’ second unit and being the team’s key backcourt reserve in the postseason. Not sure how VanVleet would react to such a demotion but, again, as long as he’s on the floor to finish games and the team continues winning, fretting over who starts seems like “child’s play.”

Whatever happens in the games to come, both Powell and VanVleet will remain a part of Toronto’s core rotation until it seizes operations and loses four times in a best-of-seven playoff series. Hopefully, that doesn’t come to pass which would mean another summer parade in the Six. I’ve never been a parade guy, but what went on last year made me a believer in the power of parades.

For another double-decker derby to go down, the Raptors are going to need both Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell at their respective bests in the playoffs. And while it may not seem like it’s the case right now, both players will return from their respective injuries stronger and hungrier than they were before.

That’s saying a lot.