Dwight Powell entered Mavericks camp looking like the long shot of all long shots. Dallas already had a crowded big-man rotation, already carried 15 players on standard deals before bringing him in, and already had fans questioning whether a 35-year-old center with a decade-plus of mileage and declining production had any real path to stick.
A couple of preseason games later, that picture looks a lot different.
Powell logged 28 minutes across Dallas’ two preseason games against the Houston Rockets in Macao, China, and his stat line was modest but useful: four points, six rebounds, 10 assists and one steal. More telling than the numbers was the role. He played ahead of Moussa Cisse in the rotation, and that mattered, especially after the Mavericks allowed his contract to become guaranteed earlier this month.
The biggest reason his standing has changed is Dusty May. The Dallas coach made it clear why Powell keeps getting chances.
"When you watch the game, it’s fairly obvious his ability to connect and keep the group organized," May said. "When you look at the age of - especially our second unit - Sergio and Max and all these young guys, it just gives us another pressure release and outlet.
He generates great looks. He’s a very smart veteran basketball player."
That’s the kind of endorsement that can move a player from roster afterthought to genuine contender. May also stressed how Powell fits beside Dallas’ younger reserves and how much value he brings as a stabilizer.
"So there are a number of different components to the development of young players," May said. "Putting him out there with guys who (he) is trying to assist them, make them better, screen well for them.
It’s just a decision where we felt like we are playing well with him on the floor. We’re very, very comfortable."
With Dereck Lively II still sidelined while he recovers from foot surgery, Powell has a lane to carve out minutes early in the regular season. May clearly trusts the way he runs the pick-and-roll, both as a finisher and as a screener, and he values the little things Powell does on and off the ball. The coach’s praise centered on Powell’s connectivity, leadership and selflessness, and he went a step further by pointing to Powell’s basketball IQ as the best among Dallas’ big men.
That is a different conversation from the one Powell was having when camp opened. Back then, it looked almost impossible that the Mavericks would carve out a roster spot for him.
Now, with a week left before the regular season, Dallas could actually explore ways to keep him. That would mean waiving someone or making a consolidation trade, but the door is at least open.
Powell has never been the guy who fills up the box score. He has built his reputation by making the game easier for everybody else, and May’s comments show that trait still carries real weight. He may not dominate the glass or pile up scoring bursts, but he fits, he listens, and he helps the team function.
The Mavericks still have two preseason games left, one tonight and one on Friday. For Powell, those final reps could go a long way toward deciding whether his Dallas run keeps going past this week.
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The conversation around Flagg got even louder when former NBA center DeMarcus Cousins weighed in with a flattering comparison, saying his game blends elements of Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. For Mavericks fans, that kind of praise only adds to the anticipation surrounding what Flagg can become, and it leaves the bigger question hanging over the season ahead: just how high can his rise go from here? [Read more 🡒]