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Clippers 2024-2025 Player Preview: Norman Powell
Our player preview series for the 2025 Clippers continues with Norman Powell, the Clippers’ veteran 6th man.
Basic Information
Height: 6’3
Weight: 215 pounds
Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 31
Years in NBA: 9
Regular Season Stats: 13.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.9 turnovers in 26.2 minutes per game across 76 games played (3 starts) on 48.6/43.5/83.1 shooting splits with 62.6% TS
Playoff Stats: 12.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.2 turnovers in 29.8 minutes per game across 6 games played (0 starts) on 42.6/44.8/80.0 shooting splits with 57% TS
Contract Status: Two years left on a 5 year, $90M extension, $19.2M this season
Expectations
After two seasons of clear expectations as the Clippers’ sixth man, things are a bit different for Powell this season. With Paul George gone, the starting shooting guard spot is technically open. Terance Mann is probably the leader for the role because of his defense and ability to “do the little things”, but Mann and Derrick Jones Jr. could be too punchless on offense. In could come Powell as the starter, who would provide incredible spacing for Harden-Zu pick and rolls – but also another target on defense. I suspect Powell will continue to be the 6th man, but I’d expect his minutes and shots to go up this year.
Strengths
Norm’s biggest strength at this point in his career is his outside shooting. While he’s not a super high-volume off-ball shooter like Klay Thompson, Buddy Hield, or Desmond Bane, he took 5.1 threes per game last season and made them at 43.5%. He’s lights-out on catch and shoot attempts, and while he’s not as adept as a Klay, JJ Redick, or Kyle Korver in running off screens, he does add that element on offense. Guys who are as deadly at shooting as Norm also just help spacing whenever they’re on the court, as defenses are afraid to help off him and will close out hard whenever he’s open.
Norm isn’t just a three-point shooter though. In fact, only half of his shots came from deep (which was the highest three-point rate of his career). Norm is an old-school, three-level scorer, who can get all the way to the rim and finish, drive to six feet out for a floater, or take a dribble pull-up in the midrange. Norm’s shooting unlocks his driving game – he does not have an advanced handle, but because teams close out hard and he’s quick, he’s usually able to create easy looks for himself on drives. Thus, at least as a scorer, Norm is a pretty comprehensive player. He usually can’t crate much for himself one-on-one on the perimeter due to the lack of handle, but that’s fine for what the Clippers need from him.
Weaknesses
As I wrote last year, the weaknesses in Norm’s game are everything outside of pure scoring. He’s an abysmal rebounder (total rebound rate of 5.5% was worst on the Clippers last year), a poor playmaker for a guard (assist rate of 5.9% was ahead of just PJ Tucker and Brandon Boston last year), and a bad defender. All of that adds up to a player who really doesn’t provide much value when the shot isn’t falling, which for Norm, thankfully, isn’t all that frequently. Still, that makes him a guy who I’d greatly prefer to keep off the bench in a 25-28 minute per game role.
Another thing to note is that Norm’s free throw rate plummeted last season, partially because he was getting so many easy threes, but partially because the NBA changed the way they called fouls and it negatively impacted Norm’s game. If the NBA remains strict on rules allowing for greater physicality, a big part of Norm’s offensive efficiency will be gone. This will just be something to note for Norm (and Harden for that matter) early in the season.
Summary
Norm Powell is all set to be the Clippers’ sixth man for the
third season in a row. However, with his contract winding down (just two
seasons left), the new CBA making his deal a little less pricy, and the
Clippers’ roster potentially in transition, Powell is more likely to be traded
than in previous seasons. If the Clippers are not having a good season but
Powell is playing well and healthy, getting some positive value (in picks or
younger players) at the trade deadline could be a smart value play. In the meantime,
Norm will be getting buckets for the Clippers to try to keep their postseason
hopes alive.
Clippers 2024-2025 Player Preview: Norman Powell
Robert Flom