Norman Powell, the 46th selection in the 2015 NBA draft, played well during the Las Vegas Summer League and until training camp opens he is planning to spend a lot of time in the gym working on his game. Powell will also seek guidance from teammate DeMar DeRozan and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook. From Donnovan Bennett of Sportsnet.ca:
- "DeRozan has been an early mentor, even though they went to rival schools. Of the crosstown rivalry being a cross-locker room issue, Powell laughs off his known upcoming misfortune. 'I think he might get me with rookie duties and things of the nature,' Powell acknowledges before adding 'I'll be sure to tell him that I didn't lose to USC during my time at UCLA.' The thing both players have in common is their tough-guy attitude and no-nonsense approach to honing their craft. ... Yet although Powell watched DeRozan’s highlight tapes as a youngster, he’s had another California guard looking out for him for a while, Russell Westbrook. The former UCLA star has taken Powell under his wing and counselled him on everything from navigating college as a student athlete to his impending transition to the NBA. In turn, Powell has modelled his game after Westbrook, massive chip on the shoulder and all."