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Powell didn’t need a storybook night for Trail Blazers to overcome Raptors
PORTLAND – You have to have an exceptional amount of self-belief to go from being the 46th player taken in the NBA draft – in part because you were judged a poor shooter – to becoming one of the best long-range gunners in the world, and on your way to earning $150 million in what could very well end up being a career that runs 15 years.
But that’s Norman Powell, the former member of the Toronto Raptors who hosted his old team in Portland for the first time Monday night since he was traded last season.
His is very much a fairy tale story except for that the magic wand is hours upon lonely hours in gyms building skill when no one was watching.
Powell wanted to stay a Raptor. He’s happy with the Portland Trail Blazers but, when asked him about how everything went down that ended up with him getting dealt after six years in Toronto, he said this:
“I think you get to see the business side of it. I’ve seen the politics and stuff in basketball early on which has helped me navigate,” he said. “You know, how things work behind the scenes that that people don’t really get to see. But I think it’s good for me to experience something new and find a way to manage it and deal with it. I think I’ve done a great job of handling it.”
A storybook night would have been Powell leading his new team to the win.
It didn’t quite work out that way.
The Trail Blazers pulled way for the 118-113 win with a 20-7 run to start the fourth quarter of what was, at that point, a tie game. The Raptors pushed back multiple times. Trailing by 11 with 4:09 left, Fred VanVleet hit a long three in transition, set up Pascal Siakam for a floater in the paint and – after a pair of missed threes by OG Anunoby – grabbed the rebound and knocked down another three. That made it a one-point game with 1:51 to play. But Portland scored six unanswered points from there to pull away for good.
The Raptors fell to 7-8 as they begin their six-game road trip, while Portland improved to 7-8 while winning on the second night of a back-to-back.
Powell didn’t have signature night at either end of the floor, finishing with 12 points on 3-of-9 shooting.
Instead, it was Gary Trent Jr. who showed well against his old team in his old building, putting up 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting, though he did suffer the misfortune of having his old teammate CJ McCollum put the game on ice when he scored on Trent Jr. in isolation in the game’s final minute.
But Powell will at least have bragging rights to hold over VanVleet in their frequent text exchanges, as the Trail Blazers improved to 2-0 over the Raptors since he joined them, going back to last season.
The reason last night at least, was that the Raptors struggled down the stretch defensively. There are likely a lot of factors at work there – trying to contain McCollum and Damian Lillard is a task many teams have failed before.
It probably doesn’t help that the Raptors’ starters all played between 39 and 41 minutes. But, then again, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse clearly doesn’t have confidence in his bench at the moment. Perhaps with good reason: Dalano Banton, Svi Mykhailiuk and Malachi Flynn were a combined -28 in 20 minutes of floor time.
“I would say this, I don’t think as a team we guarded very well,” said Nurse. “I don’t know if it’s looking at matchups and things like that, I just think that I mean when they shoot 56 per cent …”
McCollum and Lillard scored 29 and 24 points, respectively, while combining to shoot 21-of-39 and 9-of-17 from three. Meanwhile Portland’s bench combined to shoot 16-of-23.
“I just feel we’re not playing the same type of defence when we were on that five-game winning streak,” said Khem Birch. “Even myself, I gotta stop thinking about my man, play more team defence. I think we just gotta play more team defence in general.”
Powell was 0-of-4 from deep which is unusual for him. He came into the game shooting 44.8 per cent from deep this season for Portland. When he was traded for Trent Jr. at the deadline last March, he was shooting 43.9 per cent for the Raptors.
It’s a skill that has made him very wealthy. This past summer he signed a five-year contract for $90 million. Shooters get paid. When the Raptors try sell young players on the merits of their player development program it’s not hard: examples like Powell, going from rookie minimum to where he is now, speak for themselves.
His success is easy to root for.
“It’s another milestone, obviously. Set for life pretty much. But you know, it’s a milestone for me and I’m always looking for the next challenge,” he said. “You know, I want to establish myself as one of the best players in the league. I want to make an All-Star team, I want to win the awards that the top players have. That’s always been my goal. Obviously, it changes based on roles and things like that with the team but those will always be my expectations so I’m going to continue to work and continue to plug away.”
Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby, left, shoots over Portland Trail Blazers forward Norman Powell during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. (Craig Mitchelldyer/AP)
One of reasons the Trail Blazers wanted to trade for Powell is they thought he could bring some defensive chops, too.
But one of the reasons the Raptors felt comfortable moving on from Powell was that they weren’t sold on his abilities to be the kind of defender they felt they needed.
And as if to prove it, the Raptors went right at their old pal from the moment the ball went up at Modo Center.
The Blazers started very small across their backcourt, with the six-foot-three Powell at forward alongside guards Lillard and McCollum. That meant Powell was the one who guarded Anunoby, giving up five inches and 30 pounds. And that meant he was the matchup the Raptors were hunting in the early going.
Anunoby – himself a pretty convincing product of the Raptors player development program – was more than ready. He exploded in the first quarter for 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including making all four of his threes. They weren’t all on Powell – at times the Raptors’ ball movement was good enough that Powell and the rest of his team were chasing ghosts behind the ball. But there were several where Anunoby was simply the bigger and better player.
The Raptors had Portland on their heels early, jumping out to a 33-24 lead.
Powell was hoping that he could put a number on his old team.
“I’m competitive, so we’re all competitive,” he said with a smile. “Competing with those guys is fun.”
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It’s a mindset that has served him well. His evolution as a shooter – he shot just 31 per cent from deep in four years at UCLA – is one example of how his determination and self-belief have manifested in on-court results.
“I always say this, yeah, we can give ‘em suggestions and make tweaks, do things and then it goes squarely right on their table to go to work on it,” said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. “And you guys know how hard that guy worked to become an NBA shooter and now an NBA elite shooter. I Just hope he doesn’t make too many tonight. We’re proud of him but (not) tonight, that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
There was not a worry, turns out. Powell was wide open in the corner on his first touch but short armed it. He missed his next look at three, too. He lost the ball out of bounds driving left and didn’t score his first hoop until he was fouled in transition midway through the second quarter.
Fortunately, the Blazers aren’t short of guys who can score. McCollum and Lillard combined for 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting as Portland began clawing back. Anunoby kept his roll going, adding nine second-quarter points to finish with 23 before halftime as he went 6-of-8 from three. He cooled considerably in the second half, finishing with 29.
As a team Toronto shot just 36 per cent in the quarter. A Powell lay-up with 54 seconds left gave Portland their first lead at 61-60, which is how they started second half.
The Trail Blazers were the better team from there, even if Powell wasn’t at his best, but he didn’t need to be. The Raptors were far from their best either.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ryan O’Reilly did not know what to expect.
It was an unfamiliar feeling for someone who has seen and done so much during 14 seasons in the NHL. But once O’Reilly closed the door on returning to Toronto, he plunged into free agency for the first time.
“It’s true what people say — it is a little crazy,” O’Reilly said last week.
Ultimately, O’Reilly landed a four-year, $18 million contract with the Nashville Predators, who, despite missing the playoffs last season, impressed him with their vision for the future under new general manager Barry Trotz. (O’Reilly’s older brother, Cal, who started his career with the Predators and rejoined the organization over the summer, also helped convince Ryan to move south.)
“There were just so many things that were attractive to here,” O’Reilly said, citing new Predators coach Andrew Brunette and the team’s existing leadership group led by captain Roman Josi as examples. “We have something here that if we do things the right way, we’re going to be very competitive.”
Unsurprisingly, O’Reilly’s decision to leave the Maple Leafs reignited discussion about the blinding Toronto spotlight and its effect on players, especially those who are from Ontario. Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving told reporters in July that “sometimes when you’re from this area, there’s a lot to it.”
“It was and is an amazing place to play,” said O’Reilly, who grew up a couple of hours west of the city. “Just putting on that jersey, you can just feel the love that comes with it, how much pride people take in that jersey. Its hockey’s team. … It was definitely not an easy decision not (to re-sign) there.”
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Although O’Reilly did not arrive in Toronto until the stretch run of the season after being traded from the St. Louis Blues, he still was swept up in the hysteria that surrounds the Maple Leafs on a daily basis.
“You could tell everything’s amplified,” O’Reilly said. “I don’t do it often, (but) it was a good thing when I played there that I didn’t turn on the TV much or turn on the radio, because there are (so many outlets) talking about it. … Everything’s covering it, talking about it. Here, it gets a little time on the TV, but it’s not everything. It is more than just a game there.”
Above all, O’Reilly said, the Predators offered him more opportunity than the Maple Leafs could. He is expected to start the season as the first-line centre and, along with former Maple Leafs defenceman Luke Schenn, play a leading role in mentoring the team’s crop of up-and-comers. (Of course, it did not hurt that the Predators offered O’Reilly, who described himself as “an old 32,” more money as well.)
O’Reilly’s time in Toronto was short, but he said he will remember it fondly.
“It’s definitely a treat and a privilege to play for an organization like that,” O’Reilly said. “If it ended up working out, I (would have been) happy there, but I just think this was the decision I wanted to do. My family thought it was better. We’ll see if it’s the right one. You never know, but so far, I’m enjoying it.”
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The Golden State Warriors have had to give up on almost every single one of their youngsters.
They parted ways with James Wiseman and recently traded Jordan Poole.
Still, they held onto Jonathan Kuminga, who has shown flashes of outstanding two-way play but has struggled to find consistent playing time, especially last season.
That might not be the case next year, as coach Steve Kerr recently raved about him, stating that he’s had a very positive summer and that all the coaches have given him rave reviews throughout the course of the offseason (Via 95.7 The Game).
Kerr on Kuminga’s offseason:
“I’m excited about JK. He’s had a really good summer. I was getting reports routinely… The coaches were all raving about him, saying that he’s really worked hard.”
pic.twitter.com/4Hh4GANP3P
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) September 25, 2023
Kuminga is an elite athlete and his defensive potential is through the roof.
He’s strong, physical, and can finish through contact, and while his shot is a work in progress, he has shown the ability to consistently knock down shots from mid range.
Some analysts believe he’s in for a breakout season, granted that he’s likely to have Chris Paul running the second unit.
Paul has always been wonderful for young players on the verge of a breakout, and he’ll give him the ball in the spots he needs them to be more efficient.
Kuminga has reportedly been frustrated with his lack of playing time and there were even some rumors of a potential desire to be traded.
Also, there were reports of him not seeing eye-to-eye with Draymond Green.
But he’s still quite young, and while the Warriors don’t usually favor young players or player development, this might finally be his year.
The post Steve Kerr Says He’s ‘Excited’ About 1 Warriors Player appeared first on The Cold Wire.
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