Norman Powell has always been a tough-minded perimeter defender

One of the most underrated aspects of Norman Powell’s game is that he is a great one-on-one defender on the perimeter. People do not talk about him enough for what he does defensively and this was on full display when he was with the Raptors. 

Oftentimes, he was overshadowed by Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry getting things done defensively, but Powell was a real catalyst for them on that end of the floor given his athleticism and length.

Standing about 6’3” with a 6’11” wingspan gives Powell a major advantage over smaller guards and on the wing, he is able to disrupt passing lanes consistently. 

This season, the Knicks stepped up defensively and were one of the most dominant teams on that end of the floor all season long. Not only will they want to target players that can help them defensively, but this team really needs a reliable scoring option to turn to on the wing next to both Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett. 

They will definitely be targeting a point guard in NBA free agency, but the Knicks will also have enough cap room to potentially go after a guy like Norman Powell, who fits their system and style of player perfectly. 

READ MORE: NBA Rumors: Knicks expected to target Norman Powell in NBA free agency

Offense is the name of the game in today’s league, but being able to defend at a high-level is still valuable. The Knicks have a chance to be special and contend in the Eastern Conference for many years to come, which is why adding a relatively young and two-way player like Norman Powell makes sense for them.