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While fans of the Miami Heat had some wishes for free agency and the offseason, the question as of now is to decipher what has been the best move thus far. It seems like an easy answer to point to when the Heat traded for Norman Powell from the Los Angeles Clippers, but it's important to explain how perfect the move is for the team.
For a good portion of the summer, fans were starting to worry that the team would once again have a quiet offseason like last year, when the only real addition the team made was Alec Burks. Especially after Miami was one of the finalists for Kevin Durant, the winner of the sweepstakes would ultimately be the Houston Rockets, the trade for Powell came at a perfect time for some to breathe.
Before speaking about the fit on the court, there's no doubt that Powell will mesh well with the organization and what they stand for, which is their famed culture.
“Yeah, I think, honestly, it's just the opportunity, I'm extremely hardworking,” Powell said. “I think going into Miami, I fit the culture perfectly, just that grit, that competitiveness, and putting in the work, the extra work, the late nights, early mornings. That's who I am to a tee.”
“So I think for me, it was all about the opportunity. And this year, having the full opportunity and chance to really showcase my game and what I can fully do when given the opportunity, and having a bigger leash to go out there and make mistakes and learn and go out there and be a focal point for a team.”
Norman Powell and the perfect fit with Heat's Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo
One of the main aspects of the trade that people were wondering how Powell would fit with the Heat's pairing of Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. On paper, it should be a seamless development, as despite Herro improving and earning his first All-Star nod in a career season, the high usage was wearing on the star.
Adding Powell not only gives the team another scoring threat, which Miami desperately needed, but also another outlet that Herro can work off. Plus, Powell would say to ClutchPoints during his first press conference with the media that he can work with Adebayo in pick-and-roll situations, as he expressed the versatility of working with the team's dynamic duo.
“I'm really excited,” Powell said. “I was competing against them throughout the years, having the conversations on and off the court with Bam in passing and things like that. You know, I like what they're building. I like the culture. They compete every single night. You know, no matter who's healthy, who's in, out the lineup, they're putting a full team out there that's going to compete and fight for wins, they're scrappy, they're gritty, they're competitive, they're very confident, and that's what I like.”
“They're very versatile, too,” Powell continued. “Bam can play multiple positions, can attack multitude of ways, defensively, can switch, can defend different positions, protect the rim, really athletic. Tyler Herro, he's great off the ball, on the ball, scoring, facilitating. I think he did a great job this year getting assists, getting his teammates involved, and figuring out when to score, when to be aggressive.”
Heat's Norman Powell could bring All-Star level play
After the newest Heat star was traded by the Clippers, the 32-year-old reflected on this past season, where he had a breakout year, helped by the absence of Kawhi Leonard to start the campaign. He would average 21.8 points per game on shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from deep, the type of numbers that no doubt excite any fan of the team.
Powell would even finish top 10 in All-Star voting for Western Conference guards, confidently saying to the media that when “given the opportunity,” he is a player up to that caliber, despite being snubbed from the festivities in the last go-around.
“I've not been shy to say that I'm a starter, that I can be an all-star given the opportunity,” Powell said. “And I think, like I said this year, given the free rein and the opportunity that was in front of me, I showcased that, you know, being a top 10 in all-star voting, and people talking about me being a snub and how I should have made the All-Star team. That's how I see myself in the positions of Dwayne Wade, Kobe, my favorite players, like that's why I saw myself growing up, and that's what I believe myself to be.”
Norman Powell sees himself as a “key” player for the Heat
Even though it was Powell's childhood dream to play for the Heat, he comes at a great time for himself and will get the opportunity he mentioned with the team needing a gutpunch on offense. This is proven by the team being in the bottom-five in offensive rating in the entire NBA last season, as Powell sees himself as not just a “key” player, but a possible No. 1 option that “can help carry a team.”
“I see myself as a guy that obviously is a plug and play, but I see myself as a key guy, a one, two option that can help carry a team to win,” Powell said. “You know, I'm a basketball player. I know everybody has their own opinions and their own thoughts about what each player's role should be, or what their limitations and things like that are.”
“But I never believed that for myself. I always saw myself as a go-to guy that can help carry a team, help a team win,” Powell continued. “And I've always been concerned about winning, you know. So I don't have a big ego of, ‘I have to be the main guy,’ like, I want to win at the end of the day.”
At any rate, Miami hopes Powell can help them improve after finishing with a 37-45 record, which put them 10th in the Eastern Conference. While they would make it through the play-in tournament, they would get swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs in dreadful fashion.
