Is Dwight Powell Making a Mavs Comeback?
Through five games, Dallas Mavericks starting center JaVale McGee has struggled — and that's putting it lightly.
McGee is averaging just 5.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in only 12 minutes per game. It’s a small sample size for JaVale, but the grass has been greener for the Mavs with the likes of Maxi Kleber, Christian Wood, and Dwight Powell on the floor.
Despite the slow start, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd seems to be committed to McGee as a starter.
“Strong," Kidd said after Sunday's victory when asked about his commitment to starting McGee. "He’s going to play. He’s going to get into the swing of things, and we believe in him. He’s going to start. You saw tonight we can play DP, and C-Wood, and Maxi. We’ll look at that combination, but we believe in JaVale, and he’ll be better.”
Speaking of old faithful, Powell has brought a spark to the Mavericks when on the floor, holding a +25 in the boxscores through three games played. Powell got the start on Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder while McGee was out for rest, and he finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and two steals on 3-5 shooting and a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line.
Asking if it's time for Dwight Powell to start again is funny, given his postseason struggles, but it's a real question for the Mavericks to consider going forward if Kidd is persistent on keeping Wood in a sixth-man role.
As fed up as Mavs fans have been with Powell over the years, one assurance he provides on a game-to-game basis is that he'll give 110 percent effort. Powell is elite rim running, and has proficient chemistry with Luka Doncic in the pick-and-roll.
With McGee, things just hasn't clicked yet. Granted, he's only playing 12 minutes per game, but there's a reason for that. McGee has been consistently run off the floor by opposing teams, as he's failed to rebound and protect the rim through five games. He has a -16 net rating, which is by far the worst of any other Mavericks player. Spencer Dinwiddie is the next closest with a -4.6 net rating.
And on offense, McGee has dropped a handful of scoring opportunities and just doesn't have the built-up chemistry with his teammates as Powell does. Powell currently possesses an offensive rating of 131.6, while McGee’s is 96.7 — again, like with net rating, is the worst on the roster.
As Kidd sounded off on Sunday night, a change doesn't seem likely in the near future. But in the long run, starting Powell may be the right move for Dallas — at least in the regular season.
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