How Norman Powell’s love of basketball led to an easy transition

ByNBAUSA


MIAMI – Like The Miami Heat had a huge win over the New York Knicks115-107, one of the many standout plays was the rookie Norman Powellputting together a nice start for his newest team. After Powell had an explosive debut for the Heat in the first loss to the Orlando Magic and a solid game over the Memphis Grizzlies, his comfort level seems higher than it should be, as it’s his third regular season game with a brand new team.

In the first win over the Knicks, Powell led Miami with 29 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, 3-of-6 from deep, and 12 free throws. Not to mention, he had seven rebounds, three assists and three steals, contributing to the team’s impressive victory.

Despite the stats, Powell was in sync with his new teammates throughout the game, and he told ClutchPoints that he felt “comfortable from day one.” as it is “super low maintenance”. He would also state that he is a “student of the game.”

“I work really hard on my game and I feel like honestly what makes the transition so easy with any of my traits and new teams and stuff is just that I’ve been in every single role so I’m ready and knowing and I’m a student of the game, watching, learning,” Powell said.

“Look at the opposing teams. I watched this team a lot when I wasn’t even on the team, I love the game of basketball,” Powell continued. “I work really hard, so the game becomes easy when you anticipate what the opposing team is going to do and how they’re going to guard you and where your spots are going to be.”

Warmth Erik Spoelstra on how Norman Powell is “cunning”

Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) dribbles the basketball as New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) defends during the second quarter at Cassia Center.
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

If there’s one thing Powell has done well so far, it’s fit in The Heat is a new style of attack in fast-paced play and boasting a fast pace. They would repeat that on Sunday against New York, although the opposition initially dragged it out in the first quarter, but Miami would regain the momentum as the game wore on.

Powell was one of the drivers of the quick baskets, but he was also instrumental in slowing down the game when the Knicks began to gain momentum, as evidenced by his 12 free throws. Head coach Erik Spoelstra pointed out how “cunning” he is Powell did, even mentioning his ability to draw fouls.

“He’s a crafty, veteran, skilled offensive talent,” Spoelstra said. “And that’s a very good defensive team. So if you’re just trying to run normal actions, they’ve got great wing defenders, they’re setting up screens, they’re keeping you off screens. So he just finds a way to get into a bunch of random situations. And I just think that’s it, those are the toughest guys to scout and scheme.”

“He had some in transition, he had some on broken plays, he had some where he would just make something out of nothing,” Powell continued. “And that’s a credit to his skill level. I know he’s really spent a lot of time working on his skill set and being able to handle, you know, great defenders and great defense. You know, his ability to get to the free throw line or draw fouls on some of his threes, that can get him going as well.”

Powell and Miami look to keep their winning streak going as the team next takes on the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.





2025-10-27 05:00:00

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