The Chicago Bulls and Norman Powell were never meant to last, but the fling may be coming to an end already if the 33-year-old continues to relentlessly hurl shots at a ridiculous pace and without a conscience.
The idea of Powell on this roster made sense for a minute. He averaged 21.7 points last season on the way to earning his first All-Star berth. The Bulls desperately need shooting, and Powell hit 38.0 percent of his 7.1 triples per game last year with the Miami Heat and a combined 41.9 percent over the previous three seasons.
But the fit hasn’t been as good practically as it was theoretically. As of Nov. 5, the former UCLA standout is averaging 19.3 points but shooting just 39.8 percent from the field and 30.9 percent from three.
Even more worrisome is the fact that Powell is siphoning shots and minutes from key young players like Matas Buzelis.
That’s the last thing the Bulls need right now.
Norman Powell is hurting the Bulls more than helping them
Despite those disappointing percentages, Powell ranks second on the Bulls in total field-goal attempts (103) and shots per game (12.4). He trails only Caleb Wilson in both categories. He's also second in total minutes (230) and total 3-point attempts (55), and his usage rate of 25.2 is also second only to Wilson.
An aging, inefficient shot chucker is not the partner a 20-year-old star rookie needs.
Powell's scoring may be necessary if Chicago is chasing wins, but that would be counterproductive to what should be happening right now: letting the young players fight through growing pains and aiming for a valuable draft pick this summer.
The Bulls should be empowering Buzelis to become the Robin to Wilson’s Batman. The 22-year-old is struggling heavily to begin the season, averaging just 12.9 points on 40.8 percent shooting, including a woeful 27.0 percent from three.
Of course, his struggles are his own to fix, but trying to develop a flow with Wilson while Powell holds the ball and takes the shots isn't helping.
Josh Giddey is also losing out on critical opportunities. The Aussie point guard hasn't found a rhythm yet playing off the ball, but the Bulls need to find out where he fits in the roster-construction puzzle. He could be on his way out of the Windy City soon too, but it’s hard to make a final decision while navigating Powell's sky-high usage rate.
Noa Essengue and Leonard Miller are in similar situations, with their development being slowed by Powell’s desire to soak up possessions.
It would behoove both the Bulls and Powell for the 12-year veteran to max out his trade value. The goal has always been to flip him for assets, so the more attractive he is to contending teams, the better.
But at some point — especially if he continues to be more of a hindrance to the Bulls than a benefit — trading him will simply become addition by subtraction and the right move to make.
Add us as a preferred source on Google