June 29, 2018

Dwight Powell
PF/C - 6’11, 240lbs - 26 years old - 4 years of experience

Even if he struggles to maintain discipline defensively, losing position at times and playing a bit softly, and even if he goes for offensive rebounds he has no real chance of getting thus leaving his team a man short on defence half the time, Dwight Powell is a pretty solid player. Better than advertised, and better even than Mavericks fans themselves credit him for being.

As a roll man, transition player and lob threat, the athletic Powell is excellent. He is everywhere, which is a virtue, and he is active and persistent in his intent to get to the rim. He has also finally started to add the floor-stretching jump shot, too; early results from the three-point line are a bit inefficient, but they are trending the right way, and the mid-range percentages are better.

A +22 net rating and 6.6 win shares are really good numbers. It is not simply the case that one can look better on a bad team, especially if said player is someone who needs the ball in space and on the move like Powell in order to do anything offensively. The reality that bizarrely some Mavericks fans do not want to accept is that, these days, Dwight Powell is pretty good.

As for the contract, remember this - Powell is being paid only a fractional amount more than the non-taxpayer MLE pays, and the non-taxpayer MLE is as-near-as-is reflective of the average player salary. Is Dwight Powell an average NBA player? No - he’s better than that. Well, then.

Player Plan: Two years and $19,890,625 remaining, the final year of which is a player option. Considering he is playing to closer value than he was before, the fact that he will probably opt out and want paying next summer, and the fact that the team is short of trade assets as it is, maybe explore the market for Powell this summer, as he may have some value. But he will also better this team if he stays.

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June 29, 2017

Dwight Powell
PF/C, 6’11, 240lbs, 25 years old, 3 years of experience

Signed to a big contract last summer in the knowledge that more development was needed, that development has been left somewhat wanting. Powell still has not added the stretch element to his game that would befit his body type - at least, he has not yet added it out to the three-point line - and occasionally looks extremely lost still. His athleticism at that size is rare, yet Powell has yet to figure out quite what to do with it. His athleticism allows him to get quite a lot done without needing too high of a skill level, and he is a worthy project, yet he still is one.

Player Plan: Three years and a shade under $29 million remaining, with a player option for 2019/20. A useful backup who still has some projectability, but given the possibility of summer 2018 cap room upon Dirk’s contract expiring, a good offer for Powell should be heard.

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