Dwight Powell: Early Sixth Man Of the Year Candidate

These first four games of the season have been a roller coaster ride of emotions for Mavericks fans. The excitement of the opening season game and finally being able to see their prized rookie play in an NBA regular season game, and rapidly having that joy fade away. The excitement of getting back to back wins and finally having an above .500 winning record for the first time since 2016, to then being knocked back down to reality after seeing the team lose a 26 point lead to the Atlanta Hawks. So there have been ups and downs so far, but the season is still very young and there is one positive that really stands out, that is Dwight Powell.

Alright, this might be too soon to jump the gun on this prediction, but let’s dive into it anyways. Dwight Powell can be a candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award and could have a good chance in winning it. After four games, Powell has played 15-16 minutes per game and is averaging 13.8 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting over 75% from the field! Powell has finally accepted a role that he perfectly fits into and pushes his skills to the fullest potential. He just seems to have a completely different mindset this year, as if he is trying to prove something and has a chip on his shoulder. Which is great! He is making smart plays and choosing to have his game focus around his strengths. He has strayed away from shooting from behind the arc and focusing on bringing down rebounds, hustling for the ball, dunking and running to the rim to catch alley-oops. With every game that the Mavericks play this season, he will prove his worth more and more and show that he is worth every dollar in his contract.

Dwight Powell will be key to the success of the Dallas Mavericks this season. The chemistry that he has with Kleber is amazing, it is a new fun duo that brings a great burst of energy off the bench. Dirk Nowitzki moving to the bench has made it obvious that Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber will be competing for minutes this season off the bench. With Dirk’s injury it does not seem to be an issue right now but it is great to see both these players go “off” in their attempt to prove that they deserve time on the court. Powell has formed a strong bond with his teammates over the years and it is clearly seen with his relationship with J.J. Barea. It seems like every game we are seeing two to three great dunks from Powell coming from an alley-oop pass from Barea. Powell should be seen as the leader of the bench unit, he brings energy and a toughness that motivates the rest of his teammates. He keeps the offense flowing and the tempo high whenever the starting unit takes a rest. All these are characteristics of a candidate for that award. However, the most convincing fact and honestly the most exciting, is that he is only averaging 15 minutes so far. If he is this productive in such a limited amount of time, than it is a safe bet that his numbers will only increase if and when more minutes are awarded to him. None of this should come as a surprise to MFFLs as we could see Powell’s game improve every year since his arrival. It is encouraging to see strides of progress not only from our new arrivals but also from the Mavericks we have learned to love and appreciate.

The Mavericks have had 3 recipients for the Sixth Man of the Year award, Dwight Powell could be on his way to become the 4th Maverick to accomplish that goal. Do you think Dwight Powell is capable of this? Or do you think there is another player on the bench that could end up being a candidate instead? Leave your answers in the comment section below!

To read more on how much of a valuable piece Powell is off the bench, click here.