“Using the Motivation from the Doubters”: Norman Powell Talks About His Breakout Season with the Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers have experienced a decline in their firepower this season following Paul George’s departure during the offseason and Kawhi Leonard’s injury at the start of the season. However, fortunately for fans in LA, Norman Powell has stepped up and ensured that the team doesn’t feel the absence of the key players.

Powell‘s 35-point outburst tonight helped the LA side clinch a narrow 116-113 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Following his second-highest-scoring performance of the season, the Clippers guard was asked to talk about his ongoing breakout year.

The 6-foot-3 guard credited his breakout year to 10 years of consistent hard work and dedication. He also shared that he draws motivation from his naysayers, using their criticism as fuel to prove them wrong.

“(Worked) Extremely hard. 10 years. Even before that. Just sacrificing and committing to the grind. Believing in myself no matter what people were saying about me, putting limits on my game, putting caps on the type of player I could be.”

“Coming into this league, people said I couldn’t shoot, couldn’t score… I just continued to believe in myself and elevate my game every offseason, using the motivation from the doubters,” the 31-year-old said.

Norman Powell on how hard he’s worked to get to this breakout season:

“Extremely hard. 10 years. Even before that. Just sacrificing and committing to the grind. Believing in myself no matter what people were saying about me, putting limits on my game, putting caps on the type…

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) December 31, 2024

It seems as though Powell manifested this memorable campaign through his “addition by subtraction” mindset from the offseason. He viewed PG’s departure as a chance for role players, such as himself, to step up.

“I saw it as addition by subtraction. More guys getting opportunities, including myself,” Powell said.

NP is proving to be a like-for-like replacement for George. During his time with the Clippers, PG averaged 23 points per game, primarily serving as the team’s second scoring option. This season, Powell has stepped up as the leading scorer, averaging an impressive 24.6 points per game.

With such consistent performances, Ty Lue might retain Powell as the primary scoring option even after Leonard returns to the lineup.