Former UCLA Star is Having the Strangest Breakout Season

This former UCLA Bruins star is enjoying one of the strangest breakout seasons we have ever seen in the NBA, and the Los Angeles Clippers are loving it.

Nov 4, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) shoots against San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Give me a list of NBA players that broke out at the age of 31. It's probably not a very long list. You probably don't have any names on the list at all, actually.

Well, until now.

Former UCLA Bruins star Norman Powell is enjoying a breakout campaign with the Los Angeles Clippers, and it's one of the strangest breakout seasons we have ever seen.

That's no disrespect to Powell. He has always been a good player, but a good role player. Not a focal point of an offense, and not even close to an All-Star caliber guy.

But this year, Powell has taken a massive step toward stardom.

The San Diego native entered Wednesday night's action averaging 26 points per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor, 50.5 percent from 3-point range and 83 percent from the free-throw line.

If I told you that a Clippers player was posting those numbers, you probably would have guessed it was either Kawhi Leonard (who has yet to play a game this season) or James Harden.

You certainly wouldn't have thought of Powell, who has averaged 12.6 points per game over the course of his 10-year NBA career.

Nevertheless, Powell has been the No. 1 option for Los Angeles this year. He has four 30-point performances under his belt, topping out at 37 in a win over the Denver Nuggets back on Oct. 26.

The question is, can Powell maintain it?

This we know for sure: he isn't going to sustain those shooting percentages. He currently owns a true-shooting percentage of 68.3 percent. For reference, Stephen Curry's career-high is 67.5 percent, and his lifetime mark is 62.6 percent.

You also have to figure that Powell's scoring output will dip in general once Leonard returns, and even if Leonard doesn't get back on the floor, the chances of Powell recording 26 points per game all season seem very slim.

That being said, you have to appreciate what Powell is doing.

Powell spent four seasons at UCLA between 2011-12 and 2014-15, hitting a high-water mark of 16.4 points per game during his senior campaign. He was then selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft but was immediately traded to the Toronto Raptors.

The veteran has played for three different teams, including the Portland Trail Blazers.

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