Can a case be made for Powell to be 6th man of the year?
Norman Powell’s play of late and throughout the 2019-2020 season has been nothing short of fantastic.
Scoring 20 points or more in five of Toronto’s last six games, Powell is emerging as a dark horse pick for the NBA’s sixth man of the year award.
Powell’s role has seen a significant increase this season since the departure of Kawai Leonard and Danny Green,
Seeing a significant increase in minutes this season, Powell is thriving in his new role.
Norman Powell is averaging 10 more minutes per game and scoring 10 more points per game in those minutes.
The competition…
Early predictions for the NBA’s sixth man of the year award are that either Derrick Rose or Dennis Shroder will be the winner.
Dennis Shroder is having a career year for the surprise OKC Thunder.
Many counted OKC out before the start of the season.
OKC currently sits in 7th in the Western Conference.
Shroder who is averaging 18.6 ppg this season in 31 minutes of play while shooting 47% from the field and 36.9% from three, all carrer highs.
If OKC can continue its surprise season and make the playoffs, Shroder will have played a major role in the teams success and could be rewarded with a 6th man of the year award.
Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose has been a crowd favourite the past few seasons.
His ability to overcome what could have been career ending injuries for most players has been inspired.
Rose has relished in his bench role with the Detroit Pistons and the signing has paid dividends for the team.
Averaging 18.5 ppg this season, Rose is shooting 49.7% in an average of 26.2 minutes of play.
While Rose is a key contender for the NBA’s sixth man award it is unclear whether Rose will finish the season in Detroit.
There has been significant interest in the veteran Point Guard from title contenders such as the Lakers and 76ers.
While Powell, Rose, and Shroder have made strong cases so far this season there is always just one man to beat.
Lou Williams
A walking bucket, veteran leader, and one of the most lethal scorers in NBA history Lou Williams is regarded as the NBA’s best sixth man.
it will take a lot to overcome the greatness of Lou Williams but this not to say Williams can not be beaten.
The Clippers have added two superstars in Kawai Leonard and Paul George this season.
With a bevy of other talented players Lou Williams contributions could be over shadowed.
Career Year for Powell
Norman Powell is averaging 15.9 points per game in 28 minutes of play off the bench for Toronto this season.
Powell is shooting 51.4% from the field and 41.2% from behind the arc, which are all career highs.
Stormin Norman’s development has taken a significant jump this season and Powell is thriving in his new role as Toronto’s 6th man.
Powell has seen a significant increase in all statistical areas from 2018-2019 where Powell averaged just 8.1 points per game.
After missing 11 games this season with a shoulder injury, Powell returned looking better than ever.
Powell’s defence, scoring, and efficiency has provided the spark off the bench that the Raptors have been looking for.
Powell is certainly a dark horse for the NBA’s sixth man of the year award this season.
If Powell can continue his strong play as of late and help the Raptors secure home court in the playoffs one never knows…
