Norman Powell's Recent Performances Arise From Self-Motivation
The Los Angeles Clippers guard is currently seeking a contract extension
After star forward Paul George opted out of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers to join the Philadelphia 76ers, many NBA pundits had concerns for the Clippers. It was announced that Kawhi Leonard would be ruled out indefinitely due to a knee injury shortly after which left point guard James Harden as the lone go-to scorer.
However, shooting guard Norman Powell has stepped up in an incredible and unexpected way.
Powell is currently in the midst of the greatest season of his career thus far. In the 15 games he played this season, he averaged a career-high and team-best 23.3 points while shooting 49.0% from the field and a career-high 48.7% from the 3-point line. He has already logged in four games with 30-plus points, the most in a season since the 2020-21 campaign.
Powell always had the scoring potential
After Powell was drafted in 2015, he had a slow start to his career. Throughout his first four years with the Toronto Raptors, he averaged only 7.1 points while starting in just 63 of the 255 games he played.
But things improved once the 2019-20 season arrived.
Powell started that season off slow, scoring double-digit points in just one of the first seven games. Nevertheless, he finished the year with a then career-high average of 16.0 points. When the Raptors made the playoffs that year, he continued to produce with an average of 13.4 points, helping them win their first championship.
After playing 42 games and turning in 19.6 points the following year, Toronto traded Powell to the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite the trade, Powell ended the 2020-21 season with an average of 18.6 points.
The Trail Blazers traded Powell to the Clippers after 40 games during the following season. Within his first three years in Los Angeles, he averaged 15.4 points a contest while finishing fourth in the Sixth Man of the Year race twice.
Powell could be playing with some extra motivation. Right now, he is under a five-year contract that is worth $90 million. With the deal nearing an end, he is eligible for an extension, but of course, it depends on how he performs.
Because he is arguably the Clippers' best player, there’s a chance he could be granted an extension sooner rather than later.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to The Lead. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson, Instagram @ckenzynelson, and Threads @ckenzynelson