Toronto Raptors: 3 Raptors players who need big final stretch

2. Norman Powell

Norman Powell is one of several Raptors who have spent a good chunk of time trying to recover from injuries in recent weeks. The guard fractured his left hand at the end of January, forcing him to miss a month after averaging a career-high 15.3 points per game through the first 38 games of the season.

The sixth man/pseudo starter finally returned to the lineup during Friday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets. And while the team is 0-2 since Powell has come back, the 26-year-old is arguably playing even better than before he got hurt, when he was playing the best basketball of his career.

Against the Hornets, Powell scored 22 points while only turning the ball over once. In the loss to the Nuggets, Powell was even better, scoring 24 points with six rebounds without turning the ball over at all. It seems Nick Nurse can trust Powell to be at his best almost immediately.

Over the final month, Powell will need to prove that he’s more than just a bunch scorer off the bench. The guard needs to demonstrate that he’s capable of being one of the three best offensive weapons for the Raptors, a Lou Williams-type who can change the complexion of a game in a heartbeat.

So far, it appears Norman Powell is on the right track.