Norman Powell has always been the “understudy,” now he gets to be one of the stars
Whether it was in Toronto or in Portland, Norman Powell has always played that “understudy” role to other high-level players. With the Raptors, Powell deferred to guys like Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, limiting his ability to truly take over a game.
In Portland, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum ran things, making it difficult for Norman Powell to find his footing when he got there midseason.
Everywhere he has been, Norman Powell has had to defer to somebody else, but in New York, he could actually grow into being one of “the guys.” Of course they have Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett, but if they were to sign Powell in NBA free agency, they would be doing so to make him one of the stars and focal points of this team.
This is exactly the kind of role Powell wants to play for a team moving forward and is one of the reasons he will be opting out of his player option. Of course he wants to be paid more since he has had back-to-back great seasons, but he also wants his role to expand further.
READ MORE: NBA Rumors: Knicks expected to target Norman Powell in NBA free agency
New York needs a guy that can contribute to them in multiple ways and Powell is the definition of a versatile player in this league. He can guard virtually every position on defense and on offense, he can score from basically any spot on the court. Not to mention, he is virtually impossible to stop when he gets going in transition.
On or off-the-ball, Norman Powell has all the makings of turning himself into a well-known name around this league. For this reason alone is why the New York Knicks should be “all-in” on pursuing Powell in NBA free agency this offseason.
