MIAMI — It wasn’t intentional, or at least did not come off that way in the moment, and yet amid this season’s Miami Heat roster reset, it’s almost as if newcomer Norman Powell recognized what most was needed.
“I’m very low maintenance,” he said, “super low maintenance.”
No, nothing veiled, certainly without any contemplation of how a year ago Erik Spoelstra’s roster was being fractured by high-maintenance Jimmy Butler.
But the candor from the 32-year-old guard has been a refreshing element of this young Heat season, as has been his play, with the Heat moving on to Tuesday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets at Kaseya Center.
“I feel like I’ve been comfortable since day one,” said Powell, who arrived from the Los Angeles Clippers in the July trade that sent out Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson. “And I feel like honestly what makes the transition so easy with any of my trades to new teams is that I’ve been in every single role. So being prepared and knowing, and I’m a student of the game.”
Last year at this time, Butler was beginning the acting out over Spoelstra’s move toward more reliance on Tyler Herro, the beginning of an escape route to his February trade to the Golden State Warriors.
With Powell, the ease has been organic. The Heat run, move the ball, and he’s found offense in all the right places, after previously finding comfort zones with the Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers and Clippers.
“I’ve said it before, like this pace and even when I was playing against the Heat, when they tried to play fast, especially like early in my career, I always had a great game against them because of my style of play, getting up and down the floor, attacking the rim, looking for opportunities for catch-and-shoots in transition in the flow of the game,” he said.
“I just read and take what the defense has given me. I’ve worked really hard on my game to be a three-level scorer, a three-level threat where they’ve got to focus on me when they’re scrambling around and stuff on defense. And this up-tempo playing style plays directly into my strengths and now it’s just taking what the defense is giving, reading the second level and third level of the defenders helping and making the right play.”
That, in turn, has created plenty of fans on the roster and in the coaching suite.
“He’s a crafty veteran, skilled offensive talent,” Spoelstra said, with the Heat next heading out on a four-game western swing that opens Thursday night against the undefeated San Antonio Spurs and will include a Powell reunion game against the Clippers. “He just finds a way to get it in a bunch of random situations. I just think those are the hardest guys to scout and scheme for.
“His ability to get to the free-throw line or draw fouls on some of his threes, that can kind of get him going, as well, too.”
When it came to Butler, he knew what he wanted.
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When it comes to Powell, he is taking what is given.
“Man, he’s been amazing, from preseason to now, just showing more of what he’s capable of, been dominating every night,” forward Andrew Wiggins said. “There’s no egos on this team. We’re all just here to play together and try to do something special this year.”
With guard Davion Mitchell glad Powell is on his side.
“He’s different,” Mitchell said. “I actually hated guarding him when we played. When I used to play against him, he used to always draw fouls on me. I used to always be in foul trouble.
“He’s hard to guard, especially when you play an offense like we play.”
High value . . . low maintenance.
“Norm’s probably been the most comfortable after training camp,” Spoelstra said. “But other guys now are starting to get in a rhythm and hopefully that’s going to be a snowball rolling down the hill.”
