My goodness, how time flies.
Around this time last year, the Raptors were in a tough spot. Facing a Game 7 against the mighty Paul George and the Indiana Pacers and on the brink of suffering their third straight first-round knockout, things were looking bleak.
Bolstering Raptor fans’ anxiety was the fact that DeMar and Kyle were inexplicably slumping when it mattered most. A third straight early exit would certainly spell a roster reload.
And then suddenly, the script was flipped. The Pacers began to falter and the Raptors showed their depth by rallying together and fans across the country rejoiced as Toronto made hosers out of the Hoosiers.
At the helm of that momentous shift was an unlikely hero.
There is something special about Norman Powell. He may have entered the league as a first-year player, but anyone really watching him could tell he was no rookie. After four years at UCLA, he stepped onto the NBA court for the first time with more polish and poise than half of the league.
On draft night, he surreptitiously slipped under the radars of most, picked 46th overall by the Bucks. Raptors fans, if you ever bump into Greivis Vasquez, buy him a Coke. Because thanks to him, the Raptors were able to make a swap with Milwaukee for Powell’s draft rights – yet another of “Masai’s Magic Moves” (Trademark pending).
As a freshman in college, Powell was the only first-year player on his team to see significant minutes. It was no coincidence then that after a great NBA summer league, and shining with the 905, Powell again found himself quietly accumulating regular playing time.
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Ask Dwane Casey and he will tell you that if there is one thing above all that he looks for in a player, it’s a commitment to defence. When it comes to defence, Powell punches the clock like Sam the Sheepdog. “Morning, Ralph.”
So, when Casey needed the grit and grind that a close Game 7 called for, he looked to his freshman. It was a good move.
A year later, it’s obvious just how impressed the front office is with the bow-legged 6-foot-4 guard. Masai Ujiri proved that to be true by trading away the uber-talented, yet frustratingly inconsistent Terrence Ross – a move that not only brought the powerful Serge Ibaka to town, but granted Powell room to grow into something great.
To be certain, there is definitely room for growth.
While Powell has shown an incredible knack for getting to the rim, exploding off the dribble like an unbroken Derrick Rose – he can’t always finish. A little too often, his brilliant efforts end in a shot too strong off the backboard or a clang off the rim.
I’m not worried. With a work ethic like Powell’s, the finishing touches will come. What’s paramount of Powell is that he possess three innate qualities that are arguably the most difficult to acquire; in fact they’re the three attributes we yearned yearly to see from T-Ross; he loves the pressure, he believes in himself and he is tenacious as all hell.
Now he is a sophomore with the support of a franchise and an entire fan base behind him. Coming off of a 25-point game versus Cleveland and with more confidence than ever, Powell is set to take on Milwaukee – the very team that thought Vasquez would be a more valuable piece than he. If that isn’t motivating for Powell, I don’t know what is! (By the way, Vasquez is currently looking for work… if you‘re hiring.)
For the first time in franchise history, the Raptors are heading into the payoffs with multiple all-stars, a roster as deep as the ocean and with a boatload of experience. If the rest of the Raptors come to play with the same focus and ferocity that Powell brings night in and night out, then this Milwaukee team is going to look less like young Bucks and more like deer in the headlights.
