Since returning from injury, Norman Powell has been on a tear, averaging 28 points over the last 5 games. You could look at the last 5 games for a lot of the stars in the league, and I bet a lot of them aren’t averaging even close to that. That’s my way of saying that he’s playing like a star right now.
But wouldn’t the Raptors rather have Greivis Vasquez? I know, if I were a Raptors fan (which I basically am since I have to make all these Raptors highlights), I would think that Vasquez would be pretty much the best player for Toronto to have right now. Remember when he led the league in total assists? That’s something that not a lot of players can claim, and the Raptors just gave him away. Powell is great, but he only had 5 assists in this game. Vasquez would’ve had 15.
The Bucks hereby offer Vasquez in exchange for Powell. Straight up. Take it or leave it, but they really should be taking it.
It’s easy to want to credit the Raptors’ development program for how Powell turned out, but unlike some of their other success stories, I don’t think this was all on them. They’ve had their hands on Powell for a long time now, several years, and he had never shown anything like what he’s doing now except in short, tantalizing bursts. This is sustained success, and I think that it’s all Powell’s doing. Possibly some credit goes to the coaches for putting him in positions where he can succeed, but mostly it’s just Powell going out there, being confident, and making everyone his bitch.
It’s so great to see other fanbases enduring the pain of Powell butt-kickings instead of just the Bucks.