Norm Powell is a wise 23-year-old man and a patient one. He understands his lot in life and he is smart enough to know not to press the issue.
He is on a good basketball team stuck behind one all-star, another player enjoying a stretch of consistently good play, and a third who is rounding nicely into form. So Powell works and waits and pounces when given the chance.
Another came Friday night when Powell got a start for the resting DeMarre Carroll, and he delivered once again as the Toronto Raptors crushed the Los Angeles Lakers 113-80 for their fifth victory in a row at a sold-out Air Canada Centre.