Guard Norman Powell has carved out a role to start his fourth season with the Los Angeles Clippers and has managed to have an impact early in the season.

Powell reached his goal of becoming an everyday starter but is now looking to prove pundits who had low expectations for the Clippers in 2024 wrong.

While the Clippers are off to a 6-6 start, Powell has been a bright spot in the lineup following the departures of Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

Powell has referred to it as “addition by subtraction.”

He’d proven his worth to the Clippers by finishing fourth in the Sixth Man of the Year Award race in consecutive seasons but made his intentions clear that he wanted to strive for more this year. 

With more opportunities available, he’s managed to capitalize and succeed early in the season.

Clippers sixth man to crucial starter

“I’ve always had that mentality,’ Powell said. ‘I’ve always had super high expectations for myself and envisioned myself in the NBA and being a starter and key contributor for any team I was on.’

With the sixth-man discussion off the table this season, Powell could find himself as a potential NBA All-Star and in a position to contend for the Most Improved Player Award at the end of the season after seeing a drastic change in his scoring production. 

Through 12 games, he’s averaged 26 points, compared to the 13.9 points per game he averaged in a career-high 76 games played throughout the 2023-24 season.

He’s scored a season-high 37 points in a 109-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets and produced 31 points on the road against the Sacramento Kings and the Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively.

“He’s been on one this year, especially with (Paul George) gone and Kawhi (Leonard) hurt,” Kings guard Malik Monk told Fox 40 Sacramento about Powell. “He’s been playing good ball.”

Powell’s ability to score at a high volume has proven to be valuable for a team that was expected to lean on James Harden as its primary option.

“It’s huge to pick up some of that scoring load with Kawhi being out,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said about Powell’s production. “I think it shows James that other guys can also score the basketball and not have to put pressure on himself every night to score.”

Powell joins Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) and Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks) as the only players averaging at least 25 points per game while shooting 50% from the field and 50% from the 3-point line as of Wednesday.

Powell focused on mental health

Powell spent the offseason working on his physical ability to continue being in the best shape possible but also credits the time he’s spent focusing on his mental health and well-being for some of his success this season.

“I read a lot of self-help books that will help better me as a person, my mentality and approach, especially when it comes to sports because today we have a more open dialog about mental health, depression and pressure that we as athletes face … so much of the game is mental.”

Powell’s work with a mental health coach has helped point him in the right direction with some of the books he’s read and has allowed him to overcome some of the overthinking and depression he’s faced when the physical work he’s put in hadn’t always translated into success on the court.

He’s also prioritized the phrase “Understand the Grind,” which is also the name of his clothing brand.

Since high school, the motto has served as a reminder to become someone others from his hometown of San Diego can look up to.

A chance for him to return to the Clippers in 2021 has allowed him to expand his outreach back in his hometown and stay closer to his immediate family.

Powell has given back to the community in a similar fashion using his platform to help “uplift the next generation” with his AAU and mentorship programs. He also participates in charity give-back events during the back-to-school and holiday seasons.

“My humanitarian work comes from my mom. Growing up, she was a social worker and a single mother who raised me and my older sisters but still found time to give back to the community and be a mom of San Diego.”