NBA Insider Thinks This Heat Guard Had the Biggest NBA Glow-Up

It isn’t common for an NBA player to hit their peak after the age of 30. Most players take a few years to find their footing in the league, and if they are going to be a star, people know it by their fourth or fifth season. However, this isn’t the path for every NBA player. Every few years a “late bloomer” can surprise the league by taking a huge leap later in their career. 

This is what happened in Norman Powell’s career. Powell had already solidified himself as a solid role-playing guard early in his career. He even won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 as a helpful bench piece. 

Even with the Raptors, Powell’s averages neared 20 points per game, but nobody considered him a star. Last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Powell had his true breakout. He averaged 21.8 points while shooting nearly 42% from three and 48.4% from the field. This season with the Miami Heat he’s improved even more, averaging 22.5 points per game. 

NBA insider Kevin O’Connor was asked to name the NBA’s biggest “glow-up” this season and he named Powell as his choice. “I’ll start off with Norman Powell. Becomes an All-Star at 32 years old. He’s out right now with a groin injury… I look forward to when he gets back because I think more than anyone else in the league, he’s had one of the better glow-ups in terms of the perception of his game and the situation he’s in with the Miami Heat and their innovative system.” 

While Powell is having another great season, his glow-up was more last season than this one. Still, hats off to Powell; becoming a star later in your career is no easy feat.