Kawhi Leonard on Norman Powell’s Miami Surge: “He’s Playing Great. I’m Happy for Him.”
When Kawhi Leonard talks about Norman Powell, it’s not just former teammates catching up-it’s a two-time champion speaking from experience. Leonard and Powell go way back, sharing the court in Toronto during the Raptors’ 2019 title run and later reuniting with the Clippers for four seasons. So if anyone’s qualified to weigh in on Powell’s breakout with the Miami Heat, it’s Kawhi.
After the Heat took down the Clippers on Monday night at Kaseya Center, Leonard was asked about Powell’s fit in Miami. His answer? No surprise at all.
“He was the same,” Leonard said. “Definitely gotten better, gotten more opportunity.
He extended his game, especially out to the 3, shooting at a high rate. He was always making threes but now he's 42 (percent) or higher.”
Powell’s actually shooting 45% from deep this season, and it’s not just volume-it’s impact. In Monday’s win, he dropped 33 points, hitting 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.
That kind of efficiency isn’t just a hot streak-it’s the mark of a player who’s elevated his game. And around the league, people are taking notice.
Powell’s being talked about as one of the best value pickups of the offseason, while the Clippers are facing questions about letting him walk.
Leonard didn’t need to see this version of Powell to believe in him. He saw it coming.
“He's playing excellent,” Leonard said. “He's playing great.
I'm happy for him. It's nothing that is unexpected, at least not for me.
He's worked on his game a lot. It's showing.”
And that work is paying off in a big way for the Heat.
Miami currently holds the third-best record in the Eastern Conference, and with some of the East’s top stars sidelined, there’s real buzz about them being a dark horse Finals contender. The Celtics are without Jayson Tatum.
The Pacers lost Tyrese Haliburton. Both are out for the season with Achilles injuries suffered late last year.
That’s left the door open, and Miami’s walking through it with a core that’s clicking at the right time.
Powell’s scoring punch has added a new layer to a Heat offense that already features Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. Herro, who missed the first month of the season, is quickly building chemistry with Powell. And with Davion Mitchell showing signs of growth and Jamie Jaquez bouncing back from a sophomore slump, this Heat squad is deeper and more dangerous than they’ve looked in years.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra sees it too.
“We're excited about it,” Spoelstra said. “I know they're both excited about it. I think the two of them and their skill sets just make us a whole lot more dynamic offensively, and we welcome all of it.”
Powell may be new to South Beach, but he’s already becoming a key piece of Miami’s identity. Confident, efficient, and battle-tested-just like the teammate who saw it coming all along.