Norman

Powell

Powell played a series-high 36 minutes in Game 6, hitting the 20-point mark for the first time since he scored 21 in Game 3. The Clippers playing without Kawhi Leonard resulted in more opportunities for Norm, even if he remained in a reserve role. Powell was once again one of the NBA’s most productive bench scorers, but his fantasy value will remain capped as long as the Clippers have Paul George and Kawhi Leonard on the wings. Powell is under contract for two more seasons, and unless George were to opt out and leave, his place within the Clippers’ rotation is unlikely to change in 2024-25. He’s worth selecting with a late-round pick, but Powell is most valuable on nights when the Clippers are shorthanded on the perimeter.

Recent reports indicated that this would likely be the case, and now Kawhi has officially been ruled out for this game. P.J. Tucker was the most recent starter in his place, though Norman Powell will certainly take on an extended role with Leonard on the sidelines. It is unclear if Kawhi will be able to play in Game 2.

This will be a fifth straight absence for Kawhi, which means that P.J. Tucker should get another start, with Norman Powell seeing a few extra minutes off the bench. Hopefully Leonard will be healthy for the start of the playoffs, since an injury that prevents him from playing in the postseason would be a repeat of the same story that we have seen for the Clippers for the last few years.

The Clippers rallied from a 26-point deficit to beat the Cavaliers, and Harden played the role of spectator for most of it. While he wasn’t officially under any restrictions, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Harden’s sore foot factored into his decision not to play the point guard for the final 1.5 quarters. While this won’t impact fantasy managers whose leagues end with Week 23, it’s worth monitoring for leagues that end with Week 24. The Clippers begin the week with a Tuesday/Wednesday home-and-home against the Suns. Russell Westbrook (8/7/6/1/2 in 25 minutes) and Norman Powell (14/3/0/1 with four 3-pointers in 28 minutes) would take on enhanced roles if Harden has to miss time.

Leonard will miss his fourth straight game, but there are no clear fantasy pickups. Over the last three, the Clippers have inserted Norm Powell into the starting five for one game and P.J. Tucker for the last two. Tucker is just out there to get his daily 15 minutes of cardio, while Powell is a hit-or-miss option with a skillset limited to points and triples.

Friday’s game is the third Leonard has missed due to a right knee issue, which has been changed from “soreness” to “inflammation.” Either Norman Powell or P.J. Tucker will start in his place, with the former offering a higher fantasy upside regardless of role.

The Clippers remain without Kawhi Leonard (knee), but it will not be Norman Powell who fills the void in the starting lineup this time around. Tucker moves into the starting five for matchup reasons, with Powell returning to the bench. Tucker hasn’t been a great streaming option on the few occasions he’s played extended minutes. Powell is still worth rostering, as the Clippers will need his scoring production.

Leonard will miss a second consecutive game with a sore knee, leaving Norman Powell in the starting lineup. Powell is worth rostering in standard leagues until Leonard is cleared to return. The Clippers play three games over the final four days of Week 23, with Thursday’s being the first of two in as many nights.

With Kawhi Leonard tending to his sore knee in Los Angeles, Powell moved into the starting lineup on Tuesday. His offensive numbers were solid, with Powell shooting above 50% from the field and knocking down three 3-pointers. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, he didn’t provide much value in categories outside of points and 3-pointers. Even if Leonard is cleared to play in Thursday’s game against the Nuggets, Powell is worth holding onto as the Clippers’ best scoring option off the bench.

Leonard’s knee issue cropped up following Sunday’s win over Charlotte, and he’ll be forced to miss at least one game because of it. The Clippers play a back-to-back set on Thursday and Friday and close out the week with a game on Sunday, so fantasy managers will have to hope he’s available for more than one of those three remaining contests to close out the week. Powell posted a 21/2/2/1 line with five triples in his only start this season.