Norman Powell is the latest member of the Miami Heat. He joins Erik Spoelstra’s roster after a highly impressive season with the LA Clippers, where he shot the lights out from deep, converting on 41.8% of his 7.1 attempts per game.
During his annual youth basketball clinic, Bam Adebayo spoke to the media in attendance. During his discussion, he shared his excitement to have Powell join the franchise.
“It’s a very good shake-up for our team and now there’s a different dynamic to it,” Adebayo told Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “…I feel like Norman is one of those guys who floats under the radar. But as you saw this year, he’s really shown that he can be an All-Star caliber player. You’ve seen what he’s done and you’ve seen him grow in this league. And, obviously, he wants to take the next challenge. Obviously, the next challenge is being with the Miami Heat. So I’m happy to have him.”
Powell will provide the Heat with some much-needed floor spacing this season. He will help plug the void left behind by Duncan Robinson. Furthermore, his presence will add some multi-level scoring and reliable defense. Abdeayo now has another veteran he can lean on, when running hand-off actions around the perimeter.
Heat’s Adebayo Praises Davion Mitchell
During the same media availability, Adebayo also shared his thoughts on Miami re-signing Davion Mitchell. The defensive-minded guard inked a two-year $24 million contract after impressing with the franchise after being traded from the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 6.
“Davion being back, obviously, we’ve been missing somebody that can really play on-ball defense,” Adebayo said. “And having him come in and be that guy and understand his role, I’m looking forward to him being here for a full year and all of us being together and getting to know one another and turning this into more of a brotherhood. We were kind of disconnected a little bit trying to figure out everybody’s role and trying to figure out everybody’s style of play. But now we’re going to have a good training camp and then we go from there.”
Mitchell is one of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA. He navigates screens at speed, gets into the ball, and makes life tough for opposing guards and wings. Spoelstra will certainly find inventive ways of getting the best out of “Off Night,” and his presence on the roster will ensure Miami’s defense is no joke.
Heat Could Land Veteran Free Agent
In a July 29 article for ClutchPoints, Brett Siegel pinpointed Precious Achiuwa as a potential free agency addition for the Heat. Miami is currently short on front court depth, especially if it plans on running Kel’el Ware and Adebyao together in the starting lineup.
“One team that could still use some frontcourt help this offseason is the Miami Heat,” Siegel wrote. “Not only does this fit make sense because Achiuwa can play behind Bam Adebayo and improve his all-around game, but the former Knicks big man recently purchased a two-bedroom condo in South Beach…Miami has an open roster spot, and they can sign Achiuwa without crossing their first-apron hard cap…Prediction: Precious Achiuwa stays in Eastern Conference, joins Heat frontcourt behind Bam Adebayo.”
Achiuwa would fit Miami’s defense-first mentality. He’s positionally versatile and brings the type of grit that Spoelstra looks for in his players. If Pat Riley sees him as a potential addition, he could make a legitimate impact on the Heat’s second unit while also being a cost-controlled asset.
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