Erik Spoelstra gets real on Norman Powell’s comfort before kickoff

MIAMI – With fans locking in bold predictions for the upcoming Heat seasonone part of the team that will be crucial to success is the rookie and the star Norman Powell. As Powell’s comfort level with the Heat growing day by day, head coach Erik Spoelstra gives better insight into the process.

Powell should be Miami’s best offensive option to start the season Tyler Herro starts on the bench with an ankle/foot injury that could see him back in late November, December. Spoelstra would be asked if the goal with Powell is to get him 100 percent comfortable ahead of the Oct. 22 opener or if it will be an ongoing process.

“I don’t know. Everyone worked hard. I don’t know how to judge where the boys are. I think he’s playing pretty good right now,” Spoelstra told ClutchPoints before Friday’s final preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies. “He’s comfortable, and what we’re trying to do, he’s definitely adding to what we’re doing, and he’s been great in practice as well.”

Asked Erik Spoelstra if the goal before the season opener is to get Norman Powell 100% comfortable or if it will be a process.

Powell told me Thursday it’s about 70%, as Spo notes he feels good about what the team needs from him right now. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/DrmvPBi5KSV

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) October 17, 2025

So far in the preseason, Powell has shown why he is offensively, scoring around 18 points per game in his last three outings in limited minutes. He would tell ClutchPoints on Thursday that he is about 70 percent comfortable getting used to how the team plays.

“I’d say it’s probably like the ’70s, we’re just still trying to figure out the flow, the points of attack, how we’re trying to play. The biggest thing, how we’re trying to play, is we’ve been emphasizing tempo,” Powell said after Thursday’s practice. “So I’m still trying to find my spots on that end … So I’d say it’s at 70.”

Heat’s Norman Powell on how his comfort level will continue to ‘build’

Doc Powell is looking to step up for the Heat in Herro’s absenceit’s something he’s done before as recently as last season with the Los Angeles Clippers when Kawhi Leonard missed some time to start. What that led to was a season where Powell shined, averaging 21.8 points per game on 48.4 percent shooting from the field and 41.8 percent from deep, even being voted a top-10 guard in the Western Conference.

Powell went on to tell ClutchPoints on Thursday that his comfort level will continue to grow and he hopes to be at his peak come late season.

“It’s going to evolve for me, it’s never about coming in 100% ready to go, it’s about looking at what the team needs, looking at what the season calls for. We don’t want to play our best basketball to start, we want to play winning basketball, obviously, but we want to build and trend in the right direction with the first trade of the season,” Mie Powell said in Game 1 for the season. from the Clippers.

“It’s a long season,” Powell continued. “We want to be trending when it gets tight, when it gets close, at a time when it’s important to win and make this playoff push.”

Either way, Powell is looking to elevate Miami this season without Hero, as the team finished 37-45 last season, which put them in first place in the Eastern Conference. The Heat open the regular season on the road on Wednesday, October 22 against the Orlando Magic.