There is no question that Norman Powell has solidified himself as one of the most valuable players for the Miami Heat this season (at times), and that should continue to be the case as the NBA Playoffs draw nearer.
Powell hasn't just been one of Miami's most important players, but he's also been one of their best players — top-three players, even, outside of Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins rounding out the trio.
Powell's place with the Heat has been as a role player, but he has risen far beyond that, playing at an All-Star level and helping keep the Heat above water when they could have sunk earlier in the season. That said, with the playoffs not far off, what Powell does for Miami will be all the more important; it's just a matter of what his role will be.
Will Heat give Norman Powell a new role?
In Powell's first game back after a seven-game absence, he scored 20 points in 31 minutes, going 7-15 from the floor, with three assists, coming off the bench. The seven games weren't nearly as long as Tyler Herro's latest absence, but each player's return to the floor carried a similar circumstance.
When Herro returned, he didn't start. Erik Spoelstra sat him until it was the second unit's time to sub in, and Herro was part of that group. Generally speaking, Spoelstra's decision was the correct one, as Herro's impact as the sixth man was solid and productive, and he continued to average 20-plus points per game.
That changed, however, after Powell went down, and Herro has started since. Now, Powell has returned to the Heat lineup, but came off the bench in his first game back. Like Herro, Powell produced and performed well, with no minutes restrictions, mind you.
The question now is: where do the Heat go from here, and more specifically, what does Spoelstra do with his starting roster? Powell had started for the Heat all season, and that was a main reason the Heat remained in contention despite being in a play-in spot for much of the season.
Should Norman Powell come off the bench?
The Heat looked better with Herro coming off the bench. Could it be that they can be even better with Powell coming off the bench while Herro remains in his usual role as a starter? That will be for Spoelstra to decide, but with the recent heater Miami has been on, it may be best to keep the starters as they are, and let Powell cook as a sixth man — a role he's been comfortable playing in for large portions of his career.
Herro has averaged 25.6 points per game in five of the seven games Powell was out, so clearly having Herro back as a starter has been beneficial. According to Spoelstra, Powell may have to sacrifice his role for the betterment of the team and maintaining the success the Heat have had lately.
“He'll be fine as long as we're responsible about it,” Spoelstra said after the Heat lost to the Orlando Magic on Sunday. “Look, these are not easy decisions right now. He’s going to play a lot of minutes. Tyler is going to play a lot of minutes. Right now, we just need to focus on winning games and pouring into the team right now. We want to be healthy, we want our guys out there, we want our firepower, we want our options. With that comes some level of sacrifice, and what we'll do each game, I don't know at this point. We're doing whatever we feel is necessary to put ourselves in a position to win.”
Spoelstra knows what he's doing, and Powell is as true a professional as there is in the NBA. If coming off the bench makes the Heat a better team, the teammate he is, Powell is as ready as he needs to do what his role requires. For the Heat and their playoff chances, Powell might have to sacrifice.