A star in the NBA could break regular-season scoring records and shoot the greatest efficiencies known to humanity but will still tested for his playoff potential. This is where his true colors may come out, or he may use the pressure as a ladder to inch closer to a championship and offseason payday.
Most teams have their guy, and the LA Clippers had Norman Powell. His prominent scoring and efficiency drop from the regular season to the playoffs was so drastic that even scientists could not study to figure out what went wrong.
In fact, Powell was heavily voted by Clipper fans as an All-Star and would have cracked the top three finalists for Most Improved Player, but his injury seemed to have removed all the momentum from his system.
He returned and still had the same burst, explosiveness, and athleticism, but the UCLA product was missing good-quality attempts and bunnies at the rim.
Moreover, Powell clearly never fully recovered from what his body endured, and the Clippers saw his worst after the All-Star break and throughout the playoffs. This ultimately caused his game-seven disaster against the Denver Nuggets.
Norman Powell’s foul trouble and inconsistency in game seven revealed who he really is in the playoffs
At Intuit Dome against the Denver Nuggets, Norman Powell scored over 20 points in all three games with efficiencies above 50%. However, head coach Tyronn Lue needed just one solid away performance, and the altitude of the Mile High City denoted every possibility of occurrence.
In the first three away games, Powell averaged 12.3 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds, shooting 39.5% from the floor and 33.3% from a distance. This hinted at a storm with no sign of sunshine in game seven.
Though Powell was not the worst game-seven performer on the LA Clippers, he could have produced a higher volume. He concluded the contest with nine points, two rebounds, two assists, and three turnovers, shooting 4-11 from the field and not a single make from beyond the arc.
Furthermore, Powell was in foul trouble early, which boiled down any scoring rhythm he tried to match. Conversely, he demonstrated why he was unplayable at times, as the Clippers were outscored by 12 points in his first 18 minutes.
That said, the Nuggets figured out Powell’s game four consecutive times at Ball Arena, televising his weaknesses for opponents to write in their notebooks.