NormanPowell.gif

4 - Norman Powell

6-4, 215 Shooting Guard
UCLA Senior
Birthday
05/25/93 (30.8 yrs)
Hometown
San Diego, CA
High School
Lincoln
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
9
Size
6
Defense
8
Strength
8
Quickness
8
Leadership
8
Jump Shot
7
NBA Ready
8
Ball Handling
8
Potential
7
Passing
6
Intangibles
8

NBA Comparison: Tony Allen

Strengths: Experienced 2-guard with high level athleticism … Solid understanding of the game … Grew this past season as a leader … A very athletic player … Explosive, quick, and can play above the rim … Great leaper and plays bigger than his 6-foot-4 height … For a player his size, he has long arms/length (6-11 wingspan) … Thanks to his length, he can score over long and athletic rim protectors … Has great finishing ability … Attacks the rim with aggression and has good body control … Good first step and accelerates once he passes his man … Above average ball handler … Puts pressure on the defense and rim with his driving and finishing abilities … Attacks closeouts very well, and can drive the ball effectively in a straight line or coming off a pick and roll … Keeps his head up and looks for defenders when driving to the rim … Uses screens well to create space for his jumper … Squares up nicely, has good elevation on his jump shots … Good at stopping and popping before the help defense comes when he gets past his defender … Excellent body frame and strength/power … Strong upper body allows him to finishes through contact … Absorbs contact at the basket and brushes off defenders … Best driving the ball with a head of steam going down hill … Has shown that he’s capable of attacking the basket with both hands and in either direction … Plays smart in transition and likes to push the ball up the floor quickly … Accelerates well in the open floor and uses a change of pace to throw defenders off balance … Correctly fills the lanes or can attack the paint and make plays with the ball for himself or find open teammates on the wing … Makes simple passes … Capable of getting out on the wing in transition and setting up behind the arc or taking the ball off the dribble … Handles the ball well on the break or in half court … Uses a nice in/out and spin move that catches defenders off guard … Uses moves as such to avoid help defenders … Good use of jab steps and shot fakes when he’s looking to shoot or drive … Has good defensive awareness … Great perimeter defender … Keeps defenders contained on an island … Has lateral quickness and uses his upper body well as a wall between his man and the basket … Very physical and uses his strength to get over screens … Has quick feet and can defend both guard positions … Has quick hands and digs at the ball while defending on the perimeter or in post (averaged 1.8 steals this past season) … Active defender off the ball (positions himself well and denies passing lanes) … Uses his 6-11 wingspan in the passing lanes, to effectively contest shots and defend at the rim … Quick helper on dribble penetration … Decent but not elite rebounder for his size … Puts his body on someone, fights for position and tracks down loose balls … Looks to push the ball almost every time he secures a rebound …

Weaknesses:
At 6-foot-4, he does not have great size for his position … Size concerns causes questions about whether or not he can be a versatile defender, or great finisher against length and size at the next level … Below average perimeter shooter (especially from the 3-point line) … Although his jumper looks good, he needs to improve his shooting consistency … Inconsistent with his extension into his release … Limited shooting range and seems to have a hitch when he thinks about his shot … Has a solid and improving mid range game but his release is not consistent … Sometimes misses the highest release point on his shot and shoots on his way back down … Shooting mechanics can be worked on … Low percentage catch-and-shooter … Struggles to make shots with hands in his face … Can improve shooting off the dribble … Has shown flashes, but not known as a facilitator, or for his passing abilities and setting up teammates … Does not have the best court vision, especially on the move … Needs to do a better job looking for open teammates off the help rotation and making better reads … Drives and finishes with his right hand most of the time (needs to show he can do these things with his left more often) … Looks for his own shot before he’ll pass to a teammate out of pick and rolls … Nearly all of his drives are straight line, which shows that he lacks some wiggle (dribbling moves) and crossovers … Increased his turnover averages this past season (jumped from 1.0 to 2.2 per game) … Does not change speeds or direction enough in half court … Lack of moves sometimes forces him to take tough shots and long jumpers when a defender takes away his first move … Does not react well to tough defense … He turns the ball over or tries to do too much with it … Although he can get over screens, he needs to fight through them more quickly (slow getting over the top or finding a way around it) … Has some trouble defending an opposing player when they change directions … Average free throw shooter (shoots a flat shot) … Needs to work on moving without the ball to be more effective on offense …

Notes: Throughout the past four seasons, Norman Powell has evolved into a leader and one of UCLA’s best players on both ends of the court … He’s played with a few higher profile teammates over the years … But after the loss of talented underclassmen Jordan Adams, Kyle Anderson and Zach LaVine, as well as seniors Travis and David Wear, Powell entered his senior season as the Bruin’s top returning player … Powell is a high-level athlete and versatile offensive player who is working hard on improving his jump shot and passing abilities as well as other areas in his game … The senior guard is at his best when he’s using his athleticism to attack the rim in transition or in half court … He’s an underrated defender who thrives off coming up with steals and starting fast break opportunities for his team … This past season, he averaged a team-leading 16.4 points on 45 percent shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists … He scored a career-high 28 points in as 72-67 win over Washington State … The California native was voted first-team All-Pac 12, and received honorable mention for the conference’s All-Defensive team for the second consecutive year … He was also named first-team all-district by the United States Basketball Writers Association, and second-team all-district by the National Association of Basketball Coaches … Unofficially measered a 40 inch vertical at the 2014 adidas Nations …

Tajh Jenkins 4/8/15

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