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During media day in September, Norman Powell caused a stir when he called nine-time All-Star Paul George leaving the LA Clippers in free agency “addition by subtraction.”
That apparent dig went viral. He was asked about it on ESPN’s “NBA Today,” as well as on Draymond Green’s podcast, “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.”
But Powell wasn’t dissing his former teammate whom he respects. Rather, he was telling the world not to overlook him.
“Media likes to twist things and try to say that I’m taking jabs or shots at PG,” Powell told FOX Sports. “But it was more just talking about my opportunity. Everybody was like, ‘[Look at] how much we lost and the team is not going to be good.’ I was like, ‘Nah, you got a player that y’all don’t even know that can step into his role and fill those shoes in production and keeping this team competitive in winning.'”
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At the time, Powell’s vision may have been difficult to understand. Losing George seemed like a huge hit for a team that was about to play in a new, $2 billion arena in Inglewood. How were they going to be competitive without a future Hall of Famer who averaged 22.6 points a game last season?
But while Powell’s words may have seemed derogatory at worst and delusional at best seven months ago, they land very differently now.
Powell went on to surprise the NBA by having the best season of his career as he turned 31, averaging career-highs in points (21.8), made 3-pointers (3) and 3-point attempts (7.1), a dramatic uptick from the 13.9 points he averaged last season.
After scoring 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting in the Clippers’ 34-point win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series on Thursday, Powell emphasized that his notorious comment at the top of the season was really just him issuing himself a challenge on a public stage.
“I was always in the backseat of being the role player, the supporting player to franchise players and guys they were building around,” Powell told FOX Sports of his time in Toronto, Portland and LA. “I always wanted just to see if I could be a go-to player every single night, a one/two player that the team is relying on to get wins. That was my biggest goal and focus, to see if I could be one of those guys. The opportunity finally came in Year 10. And I was able to take full advantage of it.”
Powell’s massive increase in production was impressive, but for him to do that at this point of his career was really notable. Players in their early 20s can see those types of leaps in their stats, but it’s very rare for a player to accomplish that in his 30s.
For Powell, George leaving meant that he would become a starter. It meant the ball would be in his hands more. It meant he could finally put his potential to the test.
During the offseason, Powell worked out three times a day, five to six days a week with his trainer, AJ Diggs. That was his usual summer routine. But he was about to be given an unusual opportunity.
George was gone and Kawhi Leonard was sidelined for the first four months of the season because of inflammation in his right knee, leaving James Harden to fill their 47-point scoring hole.
He needed help.
Powell, who had been a contender for Sixth Man of the Year the last few seasons, seamlessly transitioned from being a role player into a standout shooter, making a blazing 41.8 percent of his shots from beyond the 3-point line while being a lockdown defender, helping the Clippers clinch the fifth seed in the West.
The 6-4 shooting guard/small forward would’ve undoubtedly been a top contender for the Most Improved Player award had he not fallen five games short of the eligibility threshold of 65 games.
But his play catapulted him into All-Star contention. And after Leonard returned in January, Powell has been in the conversation for the best third option in the league. In fact, former NBA player Lou Wlliams recently balked at Austin Reaves being considered the frontrunner for that title, saying on the podcast, “Run it Back,” “He’s not even the best third option in Los Angeles.”
When asked if Powell believes he’s the best No. 3 in the NBA, he shrugged and said it comes down to role and fit.
“I feel like I’m the best when I step onto the floor and I’m super competitive, but it’s a competitive league and it’s good for people to talk,” Powell told FOX Sports. “I’m just glad I’m in those conversations and being mentioned with the talent that we have in the league.”
This much is for sure: Powell has undoubtedly been one of the league’s biggest surprises this season. And his confidence has been a difference-maker for the Clippers this postseason.
Powell initially struggled in Game 2 against the Nuggets in Denver, shooting 2-for-10 from the field through three quarters. But with the Clippers facing the possibility of falling into an 0-2 series hole if they lost, they trusted Powell to take a shot with the game on the line.
With the score tied at 100-100, Powell stole the ball from Michael Porter Jr. and then passed to Leonard, who immediately tossed it back to him.
Powell then took a 26-foot 3-pointer with 1:30 left, which swished through the net to help carry the Clippers to a 105-102 win. He screamed in celebration, finishing with seven points on 3-for-4 shooting in the period, including the best-plus minus (+4) of anyone on the court over those 12 minutes.
“He has the mentality that if he misses a shot, he’s not worried about the next,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “He’s just taking it.”
For Powell, this season has been the ultimate affirmation, with the world finally seeing him how he has always viewed himself.
After being pigeonholed for the last decade, he broke out of his cage, showing he was capable of so much more.
So, those words at the top of the season? Really, they weren’t about George at all.
“PG knows how much I look up to him and how much I talked to him in my younger years, going up against him in Indiana in the playoffs and the positive words he gave me as a rookie coming into this league,” Powell told FOX Sports. “So, there’s no hate or any shots being taken. It was just, this is my opportunity and my time.”
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.
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