Portland Trail Blazers: 3 reasons retaining Norman Powell is a great move

Norman Powell makes CJ McCollum expendable to the Portland Trail Blazers

Locking down Norman Powell long-term gives the Portland Trail Blazers their shooting guard of the future to pair with Dame in the backcourt.

This officially gives the team the ability to move on from CJ McCollum without worrying about filling his role.

For all intents and purposes, Powell is the much better fit in the backcourt next to Dame. He’s a better defender than CJ and can take the tougher matchup, allowing Lillard to focus on scoring. He’s a more consistent and willing slasher, which will help open up the floor for Dame and Portland’s other snipers. He’s more effective and used to getting buckets without a high usage rate, leaving more time for Dame to work his magic.

With Powell in tow for the long run, the Portland Trail Blazers can and should trade McCollum for a better fit as the second-option. The Blazers need to seek a two-way forward, either to play the three or the four, as RoCo can aptly play and guard both positions.

Norm’s ceiling as a possibly viable number two scorer for a title team makes it easier for the Blazers brass to find a suitable return for CJ, as management can narrow their focus on a complementary scorer and elite defender, rather than banking on landing an overall two-way star.

Even if Neil Olshey insists on running it back with a revamped reserve unit and a new coaching staff, securing Powell’s future in Rip City allows the team the much needed flexibility to trade McCollum—something they need to do if they’re to truly compete for a title.