Dwight Powell, backup center and by far the longest tenured Dallas Maverick, has become quite the culture and chemistry guy for this team going into his 12th season in Dallas.
Last May, then Maverick Spencer Dinwiddie, who went to the Charlotte Hornets this summer, called Powell a “standout voice in the locker room” through adversity. This was back when injuries plagued the team and the noise surrounding the organization after the Luka trade was deafening.
This preseason, Dwight Powell seems to be committed to continue being that voice in the locker room, emphasizing himself what is key on a winning team:
“I think that culture is super important and you can already see it in the locker room and in practice. Guys are competing,” Powell said, according to Mavs.com.
The Dallas Mavericks roster is both talented and deep on many positions this season, but talent doesn’t equate to winning in itself, as Powell points out. It takes more than that:
“It’s one thing to be talented. But you got to have that competitive edge and want to compete on every possession. Our ability so far to be able to do that in practice is a great sign for what’s to come in the season ahead.”
And he also likes what he’s seeing when it comes to creating chemistry already with this group, even before the season has started:
“Everybody’s involved. The biggest part about chemistry is that everybody has to understand that you have a role to play, but being competitive and bringing energy is something everybody’s got to do. And so far, the group has done a great job of that.”
It looks like Dwight Powell has taken the lead on bringing that energy to the locker room and the court. Coach Jason Kidd made a point of praising the energy Powell brought in Dallas’ first preseason game against Oklahoma City Thunder:
“I just loved his energy. His energy was contagious. We talked about the energy staying high for 48 minutes and I thought the group did that. And DP was really good.”
FORT WORTH, TX - OCTOBER 6: Dwight Powell #7 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 6, 2025 at Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/NBAE via Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX - OCTOBER 6: Dwight Powell #7 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 6, 2025 at Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/NBAE via Getty Images)
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“I try my best,” Powell said, according to Mavs.com. “Try my best to help any way I can, be a spark where I can and lead where I can. And find ways to help us be successful. That role’s going to change throughout the year. You just got to be ready for the opportunities.”
As the team will be forced to adapt to injuries, opponents and perhaps trades throughout the season, Powell is well-aware of how everyone’s roles, and specifically his own, may be changing:
“That’s the beauty of a team like ours. We’re going to continue to improve, continue to evolve and learn each other’s games, learn how we’re going to build this chemistry over the course of the season. So, if we’re all pointed toward winning, everything will fall in place as it should.”
And Dwight Powell knows more than most what it takes to work through and overcome adversity. This is what he said back in 2020, just after rupturing his achilles tendon. An injury that would keep him off the court for more than a year:
“One of the things I learned early on, before I even went to college was that the moment you think you’ve made it is when you start to fall off. As long as you’re striving to get to the next step and finding ways to get better physically and mentally or whatever it may be to help the team win, that’s always been my focus.”
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