Former Portland Trail Blazers guard Norman Powell is 32. He's also playing the best basketball of his career.
Powell landed with the Miami Heat this offseason after the Los Angeles Clippers traded him. Now, both the Blazers and Clippers are left wondering why they ever decided to part ways with a future NBA star.
In Miami, Powell has taken his game to an entirely new level that many didn't even think he had in him -- not at this point in his career. He's averaging 24.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting an efficient 49% from the field and 42.3% from beyond the arc.
Norman Powell is becoming a star for the Miami Heat
He ranks 19th in the league in both points per game and three-point percentage, quietly making a compelling All-Star case. Powell also believed he should've been an All-Star last season, when he averaged 21.8 points per game in Los Angeles on similar efficiency. But as a veteran, he's learned not to get caught up in individual accolades over team success.
"I definitely have made the case, wherein last year, not to get caught up in whether I have to make it or not," Powell said after his 34-point performance in Miami's win over the New Orleans Pelicans. "I think I deserve to make it. My peers around the league, after games, are telling me I am an All-Star. Hopefully it happens for me this year, but for me, the goal is to go out there and win."
Powell is leading the Heat in scoring this season, which is an impressive feat considering they're right in the playoff conversation with a 20-17 record. His defensive impact remains questionable, but shooting is a premium in today's pace-and-space NBA, meaning Powell more than compensates for those limitations.
Powell and Miami are a perfect fit, as he's thriving under head coach Erik Spoelstra's unique offensive system. The Heat aren't your traditional pick-and-roll heavy team; they frequently generate offense off drives, ball movement, and snap decisions. It's a refreshing, free-flowing style of offense that plays perfectly to Powell's strengths. As a result, Miami ranks third in points per game (120.1).
Ultimately, Powell's career path, which led him to Miami, turned out to be in his best interest (as is typically the case for most players' careers -- just ask Gabe Vincent). But while some of this surprising breakout can be attributed to the landing spot, Powell himself deserves a ton of credit for continuing to improve his game at a point in his career when most players start to decline.