The Toronto Raptors have assigned Norman Powell to Raptors 905 of the D-League, the team announced.
This comes on the heels of Bruno Caboclo’s assignment earlier Tuesday, with the only difference being that Powell participated in an informal practice with the Raptors while Caboclo got a full session at Maple Leaf Gardens. The Raptors may have also wanted an additional day to see how DeMarre Carroll and Jonas Valanciunas responded after Monday’s game before deciding which of their prospects to assign along with Caboclo. The Raptors were going to need to make someone else inactive for Wednesday’s game against Washington, and it only makes sense to send that person to Mississauga for some extra playing time.
The opportunity for players to go up-and-down quickly has already paid some dividends at the NBA level and it stands to reason the Raptors will continue to use their affiliate aggressively. This is another example of the Raptors using their affiliate expertly early on, and it wouldn’t have surprised for them to send a third player down for Wednesday’s game, too, and face the Wizards with just 12 bodies.
The 905 are surely happy to see Powell returning. Due to the absence of any NBA assignees and the loss of two roster players, the 905 were down to nine players in a loss on Saturday, and Powell’s quickly proven himself a quality scorer and defender at that level. In three games, he’s averaged 26.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, four assists, and 2.3 steals while shooting 47 percent from the floor and getting to the line 6.7 times per-game, and D-League opponents have had little answer when he takes the ball to the rack.
“He’s too good for the D-League,” Lucas Nogueira told Raptors Republic last week.
That may be true, but it’s also important he stay fresh and get some regular game action. The Los Angeles D-Fenders (my enjoyment of hilarious D-League team names knows no end) could present a tough test with Vander Blue, Manny Harris, Malcolm Thomas, and Jamaal Franklin around, and it’s possible (although unlikely) that the Lakers could assign Ryan Kelly, Tarik Black, and/or Anthony Brown come Wednesday. It’s also a good chance for the 905 to get back on the winning track, as the D-Fenders (lollllll) enter at 8-9.
As a site note, you can now go to raptorsrepublic.com/raptors905 for all your 905 needs. The articles will still appear on the main page, too, but that’s your go-to for 905-only coverage.
