Toronto Raptors: 3 changes the Raptors need to make 2021
By Jason Mills
1. Norman Powell should be the Toronto Raptors’ main scorer.
Powell has caught every Raptors’ fans’ attention with his dynamic offensive skills and outstanding play this season in a Raptors uniform. The season didn’t start well for him like it didn’t for the team, but since a failed 2017 insertion into the team’s starting lineup, Powell has been relegated to the bench until recently.
Originally a second-round draft pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2015 and acquired via trade by Toronto, Powell has made himself an important member of the Raptors’ rotation ever since.
It’s obvious to fans who know the recent history of the Toronto Raptors. Since he arrived in 2015, Powell has been at times the team’s best playoff performer before the 2018/19 championship season. He has always had a knack for shining bright in key moments; now, he is doing it consistently all season long.
Norman Powell has been carrying the Toronto Raptors
He’s averaged 19.7 points per game this season, but he’s totaled 30.3 points per game since COVID-19 knocked so many key scorers out of the postseason.
The team is struggling, and there is no guarantee outside help is coming. Head coach Nick Nurse should use Powell as the half court’s primary ball-handler, especially on pick and roll plays. The reason is simple; he is the team’s best guard finishing around the basket.
On what would be considered layups or dunks (three feet or less from the rim), he is second behind Lowry at making 61.3 of those field goal attempts. While Lowry takes less than 17 percent of his shot attempts close to the basket, Powell spends at least a quarter of his attempts in this range.
Without a Blake Griffin to finish “Lob City” off of pick and rolls, it’s Powell who should be given the green light to attack. His decision-making isn’t an issue either, as he averages a ratio of 2:2 with an average of 1.8 turnovers to 1.9 assists per game.
He has a better chance of picking out the right pass at six-foot-four inches when in traffic if the lane to the basket is cut off. Further, with 19 points a game, it’s not as if VanVleet or Pascal Siakam are dramatically outplaying him, as they average 20.1 points per game. Expanding Powell’s role could benefit an offense averaging 41.9 points in the paint, third-worst in the NBA.