Toronto Raptors: How does Norman Powell fit into the Raptors Future?
By Jason Mills
The Stats
The stats also indicate that Norman Powell either as a sixth man or a starting shooting guard fits into the future of the Toronto Raptors. It starts with the obvious numbers. He has improved his scoring stats from last season to 16.4 from 8.6 points per game. He is averaging 28.8 minutes per game and his 3-point shooting percentage is 39.8.
Powell, before he got hurt on March 9th, 2020, scored 140 points in his previous five games for an average of 28 points. He is an invaluable option off of the Raptors bench and may be ready to reclaim the starting shooting guard spot on this team.
During victories in March 2020 against the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Sacramento Kings, Powell was the Raptors’ leading scorer in two of those games scoring 37 against Golden State, on March 5th. for his career-high single-game points output.
A deeper look at the stats bears out this belief. At its most basic level, the objective of playing basketball is to score more than your opponent. Powell by this definition rates highly on the Raptors depth chart as a guard.
When the +/- differential between offense and defensive ratings per 100 possessions is considered, Powell tops the Raptors depth chart this season at +11. Kyle Lowry is second at +10. This means Powell is a positive asset when he is on the floor.