PF/C Dwight Powell Impresses in Reserve Role for Mavericks
By Reid Hanson
Dallas Mavericks Mailbag (Dwight Powell):
"Jermaine O’Neal may be an ok addition but he’s not the difference maker you’re making him out to be. Also, it would be dumb to bury Dwight Powell on the bench just because we add an old player like O’Neal, who probably won’t even play again next season. Powell is looking like he could be a strong player if the Mavs just give him more game time. – Sport DFW reader, Rodger"
I think we can all agree the Dallas Mavericks have frontcourt depth issues since they traded away Brandon Wright and Jae Crowder to acquire PG Rajon Rondo for the Celtics. Most of us still love the move but it’s hard to get over the onus placed on Tyson Chandler. Chandler needs to increase his output without wearing out or succumbing to injury. The pressure placed on him has made him too valuable to the Dallas Mavericks.
Check out: Tyson Chandler is Too Valuable to the Mavs
With Crowder and Wright gone, the Mavs have pushed rookie Dwight Powell into action at the PF and C spots. After barely sniffing the court in Boston, the Stanford product was thrust into a significant reserve role with the Mavs.
"“(Dwight Powell) is playing hard and he’s doing what we’re asking him to do, which is defend, rebound, and knock down open shots,” said coach Rick Carlisle to the DMN. “He’s done a good job and this is a really good opportunity for him to get some experience.”"
Powell started pretty strong for the Mavericks but his performace since has been pretty up and down. Up and Down performances should be expected for the inexperienced 2nd rounder, but the Mavs can’t afford down perfeormances as they contend for the title this season.
During the four game skid, Powell’s performance suffered. Granted the Mavs were playing some top-notch teams, but it’s hard to ignore his gameplay. Rick Carlisle notoriously responds to poor performances by mixing up the rotation.
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Once the first big off the bench, Powell now will have to earn his minutes back. The Mavs ended their skid by collecting a couple victories over the weekend, but those wins did not involve the rookie Powell. Powell is a fun, young, intelligent player that may have a long-term future on this team. We just don’t know with such a small sample to work with.
The Dallas Mavericks are legit contenders this year and with the window closing on this aged roster, they can’t afford to pin all hopes on Dwight Powell. I may have been pumping Jermaine O’Neal up more than he deserves, but his importance to the team cannot be understated.
The Mavs have their entire season based on the health of Tyson Chandler. If he’s lost or hampered by injury they have no one who could step in to fill his shoes. That’s why Jermaine O’Neal is a must-have for the Dallas Mavericks.
Dwight Powell is intriguing but he has too many question marks at this point.
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