Norman Powell was about to tie a game that, a short time earlier, had all the knotting potential of a brick and cinder block. But there he was, a rookie charging toward an open hoop, having just intercepted a pass before it got to the hands of the best player in the series.
“There were so many different dunks I was thinking about doing,” says Powell. “I kinda over-thought it and the ball slipped out of my hand a little bit going up for the dunk. But I knew I just had to throw it down as hard as I could to get the crowd into it.”
Powell’s thunderous Game 5 jam pulled the Toronto Raptors even 92-92 with the Indiana Pacers en route to a 102-99 win and 3-2 series lead. And if, in that moment, all the fans at Air Canada Centre and around the city officially believed Toronto could come back and claim a contest that featured the best fourth quarter in franchise playoff history, it may have also marked the precise time when it became impossible not to get excited about Powell.
That was a lot harder when the six-foot-four guard and second-round pick in the 2015 draft was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks last summer in the deal that sent Greivis Vasquez the other way. But right from the start of the season, there was evidence that Powell, a four-year player at UCLA, was a riser. DeMar DeRozan was tipped off by the way Powell competed in practice and games against people he was supposed to be in awe of.
“He didn’t care who you were once you were on that court,” says DeRozan.
He also wasn’t bothered by putting in his time, whether that was playing eight games for Raptors 905 in the D League or constantly doing the reps required to take improve his game, even on off days.
“The guy’s always in the gym,” says teammate Bismack Biyombo.
Powell averaged fewer than 15 minutes of floor time during his 49 games as an NBA freshman this year, but his tenacious defence was something you couldn’t miss. Like every newbie, his decision-making wasn’t flawless, but his errors were never rooted in laziness.
“The key with his, they’re hard mistakes,” says coach Dwane Casey.
That likely played a role in Casey opting to include Powell in a fourth-quarter lineup that was basically charged with saving the season on Tuesday night. That’s a hot spot for a 22-year-old in a league where young players—especially second-rounders—aren’t supposed to make an impact this early in their careers.
“I told myself, ‘I put in the time, I put in the work, just go out there and play basketball,’” says Powell. “It’s a big stage that I’ve dreamed of being on my whole life.”
Powell wound up seeing over 28 minutes in Game 5 and dropped 10 points, including the two that came after he prevented the ball from reaching Pacers maestro Paul George and threw down his monster dunk.
“You see his toughness when you go out there and play,” says DeRozan. “That’s hard to find, especially early [in a player’s career].”
The key for Casey is that while Powell is just getting started in the NBA, his development has already been going on for a while. Spending all that time in the NCAA may not be the typical path to big-league success, but Casey believes it has served Powell well, convention be dammed.
“I know that’s not the analytical, cool thing,” he says of investing in a four-year college guy.
Casey also acknowledged that, had the Raptors been a rebuilding team as opposed to one challenging for first place in the Eastern Conference, Powell’s role could have been much larger this season. As it stands, though, the slow-and-steady approach is already paying off, with even bigger returns expected down the road.
“Really, really impressed where he is and I’m glad he’s in our program,” says Casey. “I see nothing but great things for his future.”