Norman Powell underwent an amazing transformation this season. He went from a “Bucks Killer” who would play exceptionally well against the Bucks and so-so against other teams, to an “Everyone Killer” who plays well against everybody. This is like sitting in your garden watching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly, but it’s actually way more awesome because watching basketball is fun and watching insects morph is super boring.
Since Powell is now an “Everyone Killer” this is no reason, literally NO REASON, why he can’t be a “Nets Killer”. The Nets as a team fall under the umbrella of “Everyone”, just as every other NBA franchise does, and just as every other human being on earth does. So this performance, which included a clutch and cold-blooded steal+dunk to basically seal the Raptors’ win, should come to no surprise to those who were paying close attention to Powell’s career trajectory. People like me. Who are so traumatized by Powell’s victimization of their preferred team that they are struck with a morbid fascination for the man.
All that said, it might be the case that, if Powell meets the Bucks in the playoffs this season, he’ll ascend from “Bucks Killer” status to “Bucks Mutilator” status. I don’t know what being a “Bucks Mutilator” entails specifically, but it probably involves multiple 50-point games, multiple poster dunks over three defenders, and multiple YouTube highlight channels deleted in pure shame.