With consistent playing time Norman Powell produces. The time has come for the Toronto Raptors to get serious about ‘Mr. Serious’.

Recalling the time Greivis Vasquez spent on the Toronto Raptors squad, the Venezuelan guard certainly served up some memorable moments. Whether it was his moxie, three point shimmy or humorous sound bites, Vasquez developed a following in Raptors Nation. Yet, the greatest gift Vasquez gave the Raptors was Norman Powell. To wit, the trade that sent Vasquez to Milwaukee resulted in Powell landing in Toronto, along with the giant chip on his shoulder for being selected 46th in the 2015 draft.

Akin to the Andrea Bargnani gift that kept on giving (Jakob Poeltl), the “Gravy” gift train will roll into the extremely deep 2017 draft. Assuming the Clippers don’t implode and fall below 14th, the Raptors own their pick via the Bucks, which was the second portion of the Vasquez trade. In November, the injured Vasquez was waived by the talent poor Nets in favor of Yogi Ferrell. So, the fact Toronto has Powell and this impending 2017 draft pick is a credit to Masai Ujiri.

Role change:



Things were different for Powell this season, with a healthy DeMarre Carroll back, it meant fewer available minutes and extremely infrequent starts. Factor in Terrence Ross (feeling the breath of Powell on his neck) arrived to camp in better shape, prepared and sporting a more focused attitude.

This all spelled a reduction in minutes and several DNP CD’s (did not play, coaches decision). In fairness with the Raptors sporting the best offense in the Association, the decision to go with the hot hands appeared warranted.

Though Powell sucked it up and remained professional, his reduced role appeared to be taking a toll on the youngster.

Mr. Serious weathers the storm:

Local media and announcers often refer to Powell as Mr. Serious. His work ethic off court is part of the reason behind this nick name. Yet, it’s Powell’s 2-way professional compete level on court which is likely more responsible for the moniker.

If there was ever any question regarding consistent minutes equaling production, Powell is the case study to utilize. During the Raptors January malaise Powell (for the first time in his career) looked out of sorts both on and off the court. Much of his shooting woes were self inflicted, but more worrisome was it began to effect his defense. Desperate to showcase his basketball talent to Raptors coach Dwane Casey, Powell began pressing in his infrequent appearances.

Cut to present and the man we fell in love with last season has turned a corner and is seemingly back on track. Arguably his uptick in production can be directly attributed to the increased playing time. The simple answer is when Powell gets consistent minutes he produces results.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcC85MSEoiw

Pelican victory showcases Powell’s complete game:

In the overtime win versus the Pelicans, several Raptors factored in the victory. Kyle Lowry as per usual was the catalyst, while Patrick Patterson’s return from injury continues to net palpable rewards on defense. Big men Lucas Nogueira and Jonas Valanciunas each provided valuable contributions. But, I’d argue Norman Powell’s 12-point third quarter, offensive outburst was what tipped the scale for the Raptors.

During the game there were several highlights from the second year guard:

Blocks Buddy Hield

Posterization of Anthony Davis with a rim rocking dunk

Followed by a second assault of Davis when he put him on skates to score easily in the paint

A key steal off Jrue Holiday for a break away dunk to put the Raptors up by 4, late in the third quarter

With the game tied at 96, Powell blocks Jrue Holiday’s shot

Final possession of game Powell grabs the key rebound, erasing any second chance Pelican scoring opportunity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjpeWvdRbTo

Stats highlight why Powell and Ross should swap places:

Which brings me to my point. Diving into the numbers there is a valid argument to swap the minutes of Powell and his counterpart Terrence Ross. This isn’t solely a case for Powell, as the numbers demonstrate Ross produces at a higher efficiency with reduced minutes, whereas Powell’s efficiency improves when his minutes are increased.

On 12 occasions this season Powell has played 24 or more minutes. In all but the game versus Charlotte, Powell registered double digit scoring.

Powell’s averages in those 12 games are 16.5 points, 3.75 rebounds, 1.58 assists, and 1.4 steals.

Ross has played over 24 minutes on 16 occasions averaging 12.6 points. Further, Ross has registered double digit scoring on 24 occasions, but only 9 of those came when he played over 24 minutes.

On court – Off Court comparison:

Looking at the two players on and off the court there is further validation:

Season:

Ross on court: offensive rating- 113.6, defensive rating – 106.2 | Ross off court: offensive rating – 110.1, defensive rating 105.4

Powell on court: offensive rating is 111.9, defensive rating – 104.4 | Powell off court: offensive rating – 111.6, defensive rating is 106.5

Last 5 games:

Adding fuel to the argument is their numbers in the past 5 games when Powell has played over the 24 minute threshold in 4 of the 5 games.

Ross on court: offensive rating- 105.3, defensive rating – 114.2 | Ross off court: offensive rating – 107.9, defensive rating – 95.4

Powell on court: offensive rating – 105.3, defensive rating – 97.4 | Powell off court: offensive rating – 108.8, defensive rating – 117.8

The Key Stat:

Many pundits cite Ross’ ability to spread the floor with his three point shooting, but this is the kicker:

When Ross plays between 15 and 24 minutes he shoots 39.2% from deep, but when he plays over 24 minutes that average drops to 35.4%. Conversely, Powell’s numbers improve with increased minutes, and in games where he plays 24 minutes or more his three point efficiency is 39.5% and he shoots 48.6% from the field.

Bottom line:

Surely 24 games is a large enough sample to warrant a reduction of Ross’ playing time to between 15-24 minutes. Since, his role is to be a ‘3 and D’ man why not let him excel at it in that time allotment?

More importantly, since Powell has demonstrated he can produce with increased efficiency with 24+ minutes, hasn’t he earned those minutes? Analysts are constantly asking who the Raptors third scoring option is on the team. From this scribe’s perspective, it’s time the Raptors gave serious consideration to Mr. Serious himself.