There is a balance in Norm Powell’s nature that goes against the frantic way he sometimes plays basketball.
He can be thoughtful and introspective and is constant in his desire to do whatever it takes to win every night.
He calls it purity and he is right.
“I think this is the foundation of my game: playing with a pure heart, trying to be aggressive and making winning plays for the team,” Powell said after leading the Raptors to a Game 2 win over the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday afternoon. “This (was) all inside of me when I was growing up, is doing whatever it takes to win.”
Powell’s periods of maddening inconsistency are now a thing of the past. He has been very good very often throughout the season, and now that the playoffs have arrived the more mature, equally confident, more peaceful Powell will be a big factor in any success the Raptors ultimately have.
He is the top scorer off the bench, he will play the minutes as a starter despite being a backup, and all the mental work he has put in now will increase his prodigious athletic talent when the stakes are higher.
“It’s just about focusing on what we need to do, staying present, staying inside and staying confident in your abilities and taking what the game has given you,” he said after a 24-point demonstration in Toronto’s 104-99. victory. “I work a lot on my mental side and stay focused and stuck, letting the game flow, and I feel like nothing else matters in the playoffs. I’m only able to focus on what we need to do. “
And he does it well consistently at the right times, showing a knack for big shows. Unfortunate and out of control drives belong to the distant past. The three-point rapids while heavily guarded are not thrown out as if they were in its excitable youth. He’s in control while still aggressive and, at 27, he’s just a smarter all-around player.
“When he (plays) confidently … he just takes whatever the defense gives him, he’s always special,” said Pascal Siakam of Powell. “That’s what he did tonight, and he played a great game on both ends of the pitch. Once you try to match the same energy in defense, your attack will take care of itself. “
Powell was the difference in a scruffy game that the Raptors pulled out with a decisive seven-minute run in the fourth quarter. He made 10 of 11 shots from inside the three-point arc (only 1 of 6 from distance) and his units slaughtered Brooklyn’s home defense. He got some easy baskets on a day when scoring wasn’t easy, and that eased a lot of pressure on the Raptors’ midfield attack.
“Get into the open plan and even though it’s him and there are three guys behind, you can almost tell he’s going to try to strike there. And many times he does, and that’s just aggressive, “said coach Nick Nurse.” If he hits us a little bit, he’ll usually be in good shape.
“He had some fantastic trips, very timely too. We needed some of these. We needed some easy offense in the transition it provided us. “
Powell can play with abandon – that’s what makes him special – but now it’s with more precision and contemplation, that purity he talked about coming to the fore. He studied his so-so Game 1 to see what he could do better, and then he did.
“I’ve watched (Game 1) a couple of times … seeing where I could be effective,” he said. “And there were a couple of times where I could have been more aggressive and fill in the gaps to rotate the defense and see if they would help. And if they haven’t, you end up on the edge and create kickouts in the flow of the attack.
“So I just made an adjustment and took my time to attack off the dribble, especially in transition, once we stopped before their defense was set.”
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Powell’s closest teammate may be Fred VanVleet. They grew up together and developed a bond. Knowing what his friend is like, VanVleet had an idea of what would happen before the second game.
“I told Norm before the game, this looked like a Norman Powell game,” VanVleet said. “I just wanted it to stay ready and stay explosive. He can get hard on himself when he doesn’t live up to his standards. “
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