(Photo via Miami Herald)
Despite falling short in a 103-93 preseason loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night, newly acquired Norman Powell showcased his ability as a key piece of this year’s Miami Heat lineup.
In just 16 minutes of playing time, Powell had produced an ignitable 18 points on some impressive shooting efficiency.
He tied Kel’el Ware to lead Miami in scoring, and did so playing in nearly 8 minutes less of action. Per 36 minutes, Powell’s point production would have been equal to just over 40 points on the night.
Considering Tyler Herro will remain sidelined due to his offseason ankle surgery, the Heat should be encouraged to get a preview of Powell’s ability early on. He is coming off a career year with the LA Clippers, in which he posted nearly 22 points on 48% from the field and 42% from deep.
Herro’s absence gives Powell a perfect opportunity to continue building on those numbers, while making him a more featured scoring option within the Heat’s first unit.
Many national media members believed that Powell was robbed of securing his first-time All-Star honors last season with the Clippers. And achieving that notion remains a top personal goal for the veteran as he enters his first campaign in South Beach.
Bam Adebayo is excited for the impact that Norman Powell can bring to the Miami Heat.
On media day, team captain Bam Adebayo displayed optimism in the Powell addition. “We know Norman brings the scoring, but he brings a different level of energy. He’s coming in with a chip on his shoulder, and we like guys like that,” Adebayo iterated.
Powell had mentioned what he expects of himself, while also saying that he thinks the Heat can be a much better team than last year.
With his individual aspirations, Powell stated that he’s always been viewed as a plug-and-play guy to take a bigger role when a star is out, such as with Kawhi Leonard a season ago. But he added that he believes he can be even more than that, and can’t wait to get things going with his new team.
“It’s been great since the trade… I’m excited to be here,” Powell said.
The gravity and volume of his shooting touch that was displayed against the Bucks gave fans a nice glimpse of what he can bring.
Adding a player of Powell’s caliber is a refreshing addition to not just the Heat locker room, but on the court as well. They now have a second ignitable scorer and shooting option to utilize, alongside Herro— once he recovers from his injury.
Powell’s insertion will assuredly help keep things afloat in the meantime. And he is already turning heads with his much needed scoring talent only two games into preseason.
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And, Ware scored most of his points against scrubs, while Powell took on the first teamers. It is possible that Powell will be pushing Adebayo for being the Heat’s best player.,
I like Powell. I hope it works out for him. If it does, Herro will be the odd man out. Powell 3 years/$77M -or- Herro 1 year at $31M plus 3 more/$120-$150M ($40M-$50M per season).