“The purest form of basketball I’ve played in a long time”

It’s one of the best moves of the offseason! The Heat hit the nail on the head by going for Norman Powell in Los Angeles since the team, well established on Eastern Conference Podiumremains on a six-game winning streak, while the former Clippers guard is coming off a career-best 25.4 points per game on 50% shooting, 46% on 3-pointers and 88% on free throws. Future All-Star stats if he keeps up this pace. Anomaly even though he is 32 years old.

“He’s a proven scorer, versatile, ultra dangerous. He can do it in many different ways.”appreciates Spoelstra, who just won his 800th win at the helm of the Heat. “I love the versatility of his talent offensively: he can play off the ball, with the ball, on the pick-and-roll, drive the offense, play catch-and-go, play on others. He’s built this arsenal over his career because he’s had to take on a lot of different roles, but he’s also smart. He knows how to use it against defenders.

A team without ego

A shared recognition because Powell dreamed of playing in Miami as a teenager, and had already considered coming there a few years ago. ” I love being here, I already love everything about the heat » he confided a month ago. « This has already been the case before, as the Heat were on my list before I signed the extension in Portland. I already wanted to come and play for the Heat, so I’m happy. I like the culture, the mentality, what’s here… I feel that the heat takes the players to a higher level, makes them go beyond their own expectations. The standards are high and I always like to surround myself with people who have high ambitions. It fits me, so I want to be here and I hope it’s reciprocated. »

Even better, he’s never felt so happy in a team! Especially in this new basketball advocated by Spoelstra.

“I don’t want this to be misconstrued, but it’s the purest form of basketball I’ve played in a long time, without a template like: ‘We absolutely have to put this player in rhythm every possession,'” he explains. “We play in rhythm, we play for each other, we play basketball the right way, we give our best on both ends of the court…”

It’s version 2.0 of Heat Culture, and Powell explains that players and managers “Adopted from day one”. In Miami, the team and the local culture will always come before the players, even the greatest. Jimmy Butler could see that last season… “Everyone is focused on one goal, and beyond that there is no ego”price NBA champion 2029. “Nobody’s above him. Nobody’s below him. We’re all here. We’re going through this together.”