Erik Spoelstra breaks down Norman Powell’s “explosive” debut

As it is The Miami Heat lost to the Orlando Magic in the regular season openerit was one that showed plenty of promising signs despite the result handing the team its first loss of the year. One of the bright spots in the loss was the sight the comfort level of Heat newcomer Norman Powellas the head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke more about his debut.

After being traded to Miami from the Los Angeles Clippers, Powell was certainly the offensive punch the team needed, but after the news that Tyler Hero would miss the start of the season, his help was drastically needed. He showed that and more in his team debut Wednesday night, scoring 28 points on 9-of-19 shooting from the field, 4-of-8 from deep, along with nine rebounds and four assists.

Spoelstra would describe Powell’s exit as “explosive” as the 31-year-old had nine of the team’s first 15 points in the contest.

“Very good. He’s explosive, you just love the way he moves,” Spoelstra said, via Miami’s YouTube page. “He’s a moving target. It’s hard to get a body on him. He can drive; obviously he can shoot from three. He just does it in a lot of different ways.”

“But. Norman (Powell) was probably the most comfortable after training camp, but the other guys are starting to get into a groove now, and you know, hopefully it’ll be a snowball rolling down the hill,” Spoelstra continued.

Norman Powell on a good fit with heat

Doc Powell’s comfort level with the Heat has acceleratedshowing no signs of needing to develop on Wednesday, he undoubtedly showed his versatility as a player, which makes him an underrated star in the league. After the standout performance, Powell explained how he fit in with Miami right off the bat.

“I mean just experience and playing different roles,” Powell said. “I mean, with a group of guys whose mentality and focus is on winning and playing each other, I think we’ve done a great job with that. And then just the style of offense fits my game. I’m a plug-and-play guy. I can play on the ball, off the ball, whatever it takes. And, you know, coach Spo played a great game, too, I think.

“It’s really hard for me to guard when I’m coming out of those corners with the pin and the speed and stuff like that,” Powell continued. “So taking advantage of those plays is key to my catch-and-shoot ability and being able to get downhill. But just playing in that open flow fits my game perfectly.”

Either way, Powell looks to continue with the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, helping the Heat get their first win of the young season.