Norman Powell Contract Extension: Masai Ujiri locks up his best defender

This deal is great. Masai Ujiri just locked up his best wing defender, on a great deal. At the surface, this is probably the same deal that Josh Richardson of the Heat just signed. This deal most likely has a PO at the end which makes this deal good for Norm as well, as he could improve his skills and then go out on the free market and make even more money.

But who is Norm Powell? He is a off guard that can defend 3 positions exceptionally well. His most natural position is a 2 but on defense he is usually matched up with the opposing teams best wing, because Derozan is a paltry defender who can’t defend anyone. This skill is worth this money alone I think, because Roberson just made 10 mil a year for being an absolute zero on offense.

Norm is not a 0 on offense. Powell has averaged 7.3 points in two NBA seasons, including 44 percent on 3-point shooting in the playoffs last year. He is by no means a sharpshooter but he has the ability to hit open 3’s, mostly in the corner, with Derozan or Lowry creating offense for the team. When on the second team with the bench guys, I’d like to see him open up his creating game, running PNR and creating open shots for his teammates. This may be more difficult with Delon Wright running as the backup PG who isn’t a great shooter, but I really believe in Norm getting better over the course of this contract. This will be a steal immediately IMO.

Also, he’s an incredible athlete in a league full of athletes. Can never have too many athletes in the NBA. As shown by this…

Bridge City Basketball is Team Norm Powell.