Norman Powell is expected to play in the Los Angeles Clippers’ upcoming Southwest Division road trip.
He has been absent since the beginning of March with a left shoulder injury that Powell sustained against the Warriors. Monday night’s clash against the Chicago Bulls will mark the 11th consecutive game that he has missed, and the last, per Law Murray.
It’s Powell’s first full season with the Clippers after he made the move from Portland in 2021-22, and he has proved to be a valuable offensive player for them. In the 54 games that he has played this season, Powell has averaged 16.6 points on 47.5% shooting, and is hitting 41% of his three-point attempts.
Of course, there are a number of players on the Clippers roster who are more important to the team’s fortunes than Powell, but nonetheless he is a valuable spark plug off the bench, particularly with many of their other non-starters not particularly well-versed in creating their own shot.
Adding to their need to add a little more scoring back into their lineup, Paul George was recently diagnosed with a right knee sprain, an injury which is expected to keep him out for at least 2-3 weeks. This will obviously increase the workload on Kawhi Leonard while Eric Gordon and Terance Mann should also get an increased role, but Powell’s return will give coach Tyronn Lue a lot more flexibility in his lineups.
Heading into Monday night’s matchup, the Clippers find themselves in fifth in the Western Conference. They are, however, just half a game from earning themselves fourth place and home court in the first round of playoffs, while on the other side of the coin they’re just a couple of games ahead of the Dallas Mavericks in 11th. Norman Powell might not determine their fortunes, but with so little separating so many teams in the West, his presence on the floor will be a welcome sight for the Clippers.
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