The New Norm-al

The Raptors needed their three day mini-camp in Florida badly. Coming off two losses in their last three games including a frustrating defeat at the hands of the Bucks you could start to feel the shoulders collectively sag. The team didn’t just look tired from playing their second game in as many nights, they looked exhausted, and why wouldn’t they?

Their starting point guard is out indefinitely, their remaining All-Star was just held to 11 points and their perpetually injured x-factor just suffered another injury. Their chances of making the playoffs are no worse today than they were six days ago and the team has gone 4-2 since losing their floor general but that can’t stop the doubts from creeping in.

A three day stint in Florida should have been used to rest and relax and find cohesion with their new acquisitions and instead it’s being used to find a plan to survive. The stakes are undoubtedly high and while Kyle Lowry isn’t coming back any time soon a new foundation needs to exist to bide the time.

Call it the New Norm-al.

When Terrence Ross and the Raptors broke up on Valentine’s Day the door opened for a new suitor to carry on the love affair. 23 year old Norman Powell made the most of his 18 minutes on the court that night with 13 points, four assists and two steals. He was rewarded with a start the next game and upped the ante with 17 points and three steals playing his usual style of Bull x Ballerina.

He disappeared for the next three nights, perhaps overwhelmed or unused to the added pressure and collected 14 points on 5-17 shooting from the field. The sea-saw performance continued over his next three games with totals of 17,21 and 12 and fans’ worries were alleviated.

Now thanks to another Carroll injury and defenses zeroing in on his mentor, Powell is left to pick up the slack as the Raptors’ best remaining scoring option. Ibaka has been brilliant creating and finishing plays set up for him and Valanciunas has…been Valanciunas , but neither can create their own shot and truly carry the offense the way Powell is capable of.

What started out as an added bonus every time he came off the bench has turned into an expectation in a hurry and that can be damaging to a player’s psyche. Powell’s no longer just trying to make a name for himself or demand more minutes, he’s actively expected to help this team win every single night in a meaningful role and we’re about to find out in a hurry if he’s ready for it.

The numbers right away suggest that he is. Compare games in which he’s played at least 30 minutes to those in which he’s fallen under that mark:

While it’s obvious Powell would average higher totals across the board the most telling stats are his rise in shooting percentages and his average plus/minus total. With added responsibility comes added playing time and Powell seems to be a player that thrives off consistent minutes. He’s shown us time and time again that he likes to get his run. Remember when Casey tried using him out of the bullpen as a closer? Powell came on and committed sloppy turnovers, played over aggressive defense and couldn’t get his shot to drop in any situation.

Now that the injuries are piling up and Terrence Ross is enjoying life at Disney the pressure is back on Powell, but so are the minutes. His ability to create his own shot is arguably his greatest strength on offense and yet he’s finishing on just 49.2 percent of his drives. He’s never been an excellent catch and shoot option and his 33.9 percent from deep this season conflicts with how willing he has to jack one up.

Making matters worse is how we view those numbers. Previously they dripped with potential, and while combined with the eye-test he still screams future starter the future is here right now. Norman Powell may or may not be ready to establish himself in the new role as normal offensive threat, but the role is ready for him.