Mirin Fader of The Athletic writes that Norman Powell settled into the Miami Heat organization almost instantly after arriving via an offseason trade.
Even though he’s a veteran with more than a decade in the league, Powell fit seamlessly into Miami’s structure and culture, to the point that his transition felt unusually natural.
Now in his first year with the Heat, the 32-year-old is delivering the best statistical season of his career, putting up 24.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting .494/.441/.884 over his first 15 appearances, all in just over 30 minutes per game.
Powell described how refreshing the environment has been for him, explaining that “I don’t mean to say anything in the wrong way, but this is like the purest form of basketball that I’ve played in a long time where you got no schemes of like, we’re trying to get this player going every single time down. We’re playing in the flow, we’re playing for each other, we’re playing basketball the right way, we’re competing on both sides of the floor.”
Fader adds that Powell has earned admiration throughout the Heat organization for how committed he remains to improving, even as he enters his 11th NBA season.
Coaches and teammates have noted that he continues to push himself every day and approaches his craft with the same drive he had early in his career.
Heat assistant coach and former NBA guard Wayne Ellington praised Powell’s approach, saying, “He has an open mind. He wants to learn and continue to grow even though he had a great experience already. … He always listens and is super coachable.”
Norman Powell has been a perfect fit in Miami so far, plus much more on the Heat: https://t.co/NEYLiXvuI1
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) November 28, 2025
