Norman Powell had a breakout season a decade into his NBA career. Now a member of the Miami Heat, he obviously doesn't believe that was a one-off. And it's hard to blame him for that. At Heat media day Monday, Powell talked about his goals for the season — which includes being an All-Star — and also said he wants to "break out of that mold" of the supporting cast player.
Norm Powell gives an honest answer about being considered a complementary player for most of his career.
— Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg) September 29, 2025
"I've been trying to break out of that mold of being a supporting cast player."
Says he's had star-level production when given opportunities to be the focal point.
That is the way he's been thought of most of his career, and it's fair to want to shed that label after he did play like a star in Los Angeles last season, when he posted a career high 21.8 points per game and 179 made 3-pointers. He probably should have been an All-Star last year. His numbers may have actually undersold how impactful and consistently awesome he was for the Clippers, who relied on him as their No. 1 scorer with Kawhi Leonard mostly absent.
In Miami, he's definitely get a chance to continue that high-level scoring because, well, the Heat don't have tons of offensive firepower elsewhere. Of course, we know what Tyler Hero and Andrew Wiggins will provide, but Powell being a 20-plus point per night guy once more and letting Wiggins be a great No. 3 option is probably how the Heat maximize this roster. A bounceback year from Terry Rozier would complicate rotations (in a good way), but we'll cross that bridge if we get there.
Powell isn't putting himself over the team
It should also be noted that Powell said his other goal for this season is to, "Avoid the play-in." So, he basically voiced one personal goal and one team goal. That's a great way to endear yourself to fans and teammates alike, if you ask me.
The two goals go hand-in-hand, too. If Powell continues to play like the star he did last year and makes his first All-Star Game, it will be a huge boon to the Heat's chances of avoiding the play-in altogether, which feels possible in a decimated Eastern Conference. So these goals can co-exist; in fact, if one comes to fruition, there's a better chance the other one did, too.
Norman Powell has always been a good NBA player. Last season was the closest he's ever gotten to leaving the "role player" label behind. If he can replicate that success, I'm very confident that the mold he's been forced into will be shattered pretty quickly. And that would be a great thing for this team.