Miami Heat fans finally got their first look at Norman Powell after he was acquired this offseason. And if his limited showing for Team Jamaica in the FIBA World Qualifiers match against Barbados was any indication, it’s pretty clear the Heat made a brilliant move to acquire him this summer.
Powell finished with a cool 12 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 28 minutes of action as Jamaica steamrolled Barbados. A true difference-maker on both ends of the floor, Powell continues to prove that he could end up being one of the biggest steals from the offseason.
New Heat guard Norman Powell for Jamaica: 12 points, 3/7 FGs, 5/6 FTs, 12 mins, W. (Video: FIBA) pic.twitter.com/4cTX5x5ReQ
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Where Powell can make an impact most for the Heat
It’s pretty clear that Powell is going to emerge as a useful contributor for the Heat. The question is, will Miami find the right role for him? And right now, it’s a beautiful mystery as to how Heat head coach will elect to use him.
You’d imagine that Spo will probably bring him off the bench to start the year, especially after how good Davion Mitchell looked down the stretch.
However, there are times in the past when Spo has experimented with playing Tyler Herro at the 1. It wouldn’t all be that surprising if Spo experimented with a starting 5 of Herro, Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo, and Kel’el Ware at some point. I’m not sure if that will be right off the bat, but it will almost surely get some run in training camp, pre-season, and perhaps at the start of the regular season.
While bringing Powell off the bench as a super sixth man is probably the safe assumption at this point, nothing can be ruled out in August.
The good news for the Heat is that Powell will likely be able to emerge as an asset for the team in whatever role he is given. As a strong two-way contributor, Powell is the type of player who is going to naturally find ways to impact the game in a positive way.
To be quite honest, I don’t think it’s going to matter much if that comes via a starting role or off the bench.
That much is now clear with how he managed to impact the game in such a big way for Team Jamaica in his first showing. Sure, there’s a talent difference, but that’s just the type of player Powell has been over the course of his career.
