Powell currently sits second in the entire NBA in first quarter points a game this year, with 10.2 points a night, only behind Luka Doncic who sits at 13.2 points on his way to a possible MVP type season.
There’s an even more impressive element to this stat. A lot of star players in the league have their substitution pattern set to playing the first 12 minutes of each half, before sitting early in the second and fourth quarters. Guys like Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic have sustained that minute distribution for some time now.
But not Powell. Out of the top 10 first quarter scorers, his minutes are the lowest. He’s playing less than 75% of the first quarter, yet maximizing his time with quick fires from deep, trips to the free throw line, and just efficient basketball with the limited dribbles he uses.