One of the storylines to watch on EuroLeague Round 8 was Barça’s trip to Bayern Munich, where former Barça forward Miles Norris was waiting to face his old team after leaving the Spanish club last season. And for much of the game, the American power forward delivered a genuinely surprising performance. Norris put together his best game in the EuroLeague and arguably one of his finest outings in Europe, now in his second season on the continent. However, despite his impressive display, Bayern came up just short of what would have been their third win in Europe’s premier club competition. Norris finished with 17 points and three rebounds.
Led by a strong performance from Kevin Punter, who poured in 23 points, Barça eventually came away with a narrow 84–88 win, securing their fifth victory of the EuroLeague season and moving into the play-in places for the time being. For much of the contest, though, Norris threatened to derail the Catalans’ plans. Alongside Rokas Jokubaitis, he was Bayern’s leading scorer, setting a new career high in the EuroLeague. In fact, his 14 points in the first half alone were well above his season average of just 4.2 points per game heading into the matchup, having previously scored a season-high nine points against Anadolu Efes.
Norris’ breakout performance was all the more surprising given how his time in Barcelona had unfolded. He joined Barça a year ago, when the Catalans were looking for a power forward who could stretch the floor, bring physicality and add depth to the rotation. His season in Spain, however, raised more questions than it answered. His résumé suggested a player with plenty of room to develop: he had played college basketball at Oregon and UC Santa Barbara, made a name for himself in the G League with the Memphis Hustle and Maine Celtics, and appeared in three NBA games for the Boston Celtics. His ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc was one of his main selling points, but the transition to European basketball proved difficult.
His EuroLeague numbers were underwhelming. Norris appeared in 36 games, averaging just 4.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and a performance index rating (PIR) of 4.7 in around 12 minutes per game. His 38% shooting from three-point range showed that he could provide an occasional threat from the perimeter, but his overall production was not enough to establish him as a significant contributor. A lack of consistency and playing time meant his strengths never fully outweighed his limitations.
He did little to stand out in the Liga Endesa, either. Across 20 appearances, he averaged 6.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and a PIR of 7.8. There were a few bright spots, but they were few and far between. He scored 15 points against Casademont Zaragoza and put up 14 points, seven rebounds and a PIR of 21 against La Laguna Tenerife, in what proved to be his best performance in a Barça jersey.
The truth is that Norris never became a key contributor in Barcelona. Neither under Joan Peñarroya nor under Xavi Pascual did he make the leap needed to secure a regular role on a team with title aspirations. His flashes of quality were simply too few and far between.
So, after a season that was difficult to justify and certainly did little to make a case for a contract extension, the American faced Barça on Tuesday looking to prove his doubters wrong and show that he belonged at EuroLeague level. To a large extent, he succeeded, particularly in the first half, ultimately recording the best performance of his EuroLeague career. But his revenge story remained unfinished. After having less of an impact in the second half, he was unable to cap his individual display with a team win.