The Miami Heat have a Norman Powell problem that they may not be willing to admit. One that could make it seem as if the LA Clippers were right about Powell all along.
While a really good individual player, the bottom line is that he doesn't make as big a difference as you'd expect an All-Star player to make when he's in uniform for the Heat.
Add in the fact that he hasn't been a seamless fit next to Tyler Herro, and the Heat are not only in a very difficult spot heading down the stretch, but also when the offseason arrives.
Norman Powell hasn't been a huge difference-maker for the Heat
When Powell is in uniform for the Heat, Miami is 27-23. When he has been out, the Heat are 11-7. That's not that big of a difference. The bigger problem, however, is the fact that the Heat are just 5-8 when Herro and Powell are both available.
That ill-fitting pairing between two of the team's three best players is a big reason why the Heat are very much in a similar spot to last season heading into the final few weeks of the season. Unless something drastically changes over the next two weeks, the Heat are going to find themselves back in the Play-In Tournament for a fourth straight season.
And after another mediocre showing this year, it's going to be awfully difficult for the Heat to sell a plan that involves paying Powell the big-money contract that he's likely going to be awaiting in free agency.
Sure, in the right situation, there's reason to believe that Powell could play a big role for a winning team. However, at least with the way things currently stand, it's hard to look at the Heat and envision how Powell is going to be an easy fit next season.
Unless, of course, Miami plans on trading Herro. At least for now, that'd be a foolish expectation.
The Clippers may have been right about Powell
This is the problem that the Clippers ran into, and why they ultimately traded him last summer.
It's not that Powell is a bad player. He's not. He's a net positive for the Heat. However, he hasn't made as big an impact as Miami was hoping for, and certainly not one that would warrant the type of contract that he's likely going to be seeking this summer.
That's where the Heat could get burned.
Even though the gamble on Powell didn't cost them much, it's absolutely going to hurt seeing him walk in free agency.
If that does end up happening, it's going to be impossible not to admit that the Clippers may have been right all along about Powell. The Heat may be learning it the hard way.