Norman Powell isn’t buying the idea that the Miami Heat are short on answers.
Even after leaving Miami this summer, the veteran guard sounded convinced the Heat have the kind of talent and depth to stay in the mix for a long time. Powell said the addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo changes everything, and he pointed to the rest of the roster as reason for optimism.
“Anytime you get a generational talent like that, it automatically puts you into contention,” said Powell on a stream with Neon. “We had a lot of battles against Milwaukee when I was in Toronto.
He’s a generational player, so it’s all about the team he has around him and how they mesh and come together. They got some dogs.
Shoutout to my man D-Mitch. Off night and Bam.
They’re gonna be good. I’m excited to see how it all comes together.
They signed Klay. That’s a good pickup for them.
They made some good moves.”
Powell’s take carries a little extra weight because his lone season in Miami was also the strongest statistical run of his career. In 58 games, he posted 21.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 assists, and 0.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.0% from the field, which earned him his first All-Star nod.
There’s no bitterness in the way Powell is talking about his old team, even if a return never came together because there wasn’t enough room to fit his contract. Now with the Bulls, he’s not turning his exit into a grudge match. Instead, he’s making the case that the Heat have the pieces to be dangerous.
Giannis is the obvious headliner. An NBA champion and 2x MVP, he brings career averages of 24.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game on 55.4% shooting. The only real question hovering over him is health, after he missed 46 games in 2025-26.
Bam Adebayo gives Miami another major piece to lean on, especially with the benefit of familiarity heading into his first season alongside Giannis. Powell noted the concerns about the Heat’s offensive ceiling without him, but Bam’s production last season makes him a strong partner in the frontcourt. He averaged 20.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.2%.
Powell also highlighted Klay Thompson, who arrives on a two-year, $11.8 million deal. Thompson may no longer be the same athlete he once was, but the expectation is that his shooting still plays. Last season, the four-time champion put up 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 39.3% shooting.
And it’s not just the stars. Miami also has Andrew Wiggins, Tim Hardaway Jr., Davion Mitchell, Nikola Jovic, and Bobby Portis in the mix, giving the roster a long list of players who can matter on a given night. Erik Spoelstra’s presence only adds to the belief that the group can be more than the sum of its parts.
No one knows exactly how the Heat will look once the games start, but Powell clearly isn’t dismissing them. His message was simple: Miami has enough talent, enough depth, and enough proven pieces to make people take them seriously.
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