Trail Blazers and upcoming free-agent guard Norman Powell possesses a two-way skill set that teams covet. Unsurprisingly, that billing earned the former Raptors guard a spot on several lists that are populated with this year’s top free agents. On Monday, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton ranked Powell as the No. 15 free agent.
A system that gauges value based on box-score projections from Pelton’s SCHOENE system and NBA Shot Chart’s luck-adjusted RAPM placed Powell at No. 15. In the analysis portion, Pelton explained that Powell’s presence significantly boosted the Blazers’ lineup last season.
The Blazers presumably preferred Powell because he’s the better player now — projected for nearly one more WAR in 2021-22 — and a better fit defending bigger opponents alongside Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.