The Trail Blazers’ midseason acquisition of Norman Powell has the potential to pay serious dividends in opening round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. In recent trips to the postseason, opposing defenses have loaded up on Damian Lillard and forced Portland’s offense in a different direction. Unlike previous years, the Blazers have a proven third option in Powell.
In the lead up to the Blazers-Nuggets series, Powell spoke with The Athletic’s Jason Quick about his experience as a tertiary contributor in high-pressure situations.
“In the playoffs, they know your superstars, they know what those players are trying to do, and they are trying to take that away and have other guys beat you,” Powell said.