01-13-2020, 03:27 PM
(01-12-2020, 10:47 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: To me, the Powell issue is really basic: what do you want from a big in the modern NBA? 1) Rebounds. 2) Rim protection. 3) Post defense. 4) Ability to stretch a defense with a three-point threat. 5) Picks. 6) Rim-rolling. Powell is good at the last two. He's rather pitiful at the first four. First double-double of the year? Are you friggin' kidding me?
Powell brings something quite helpful to the floor for the Mavs, but it's not $10 mil per year for the next four years helpful. And I will join SBJ and anyone else on the barricades that the Mavs will never contend with Powell in the starting lineup - not even if the Mavs found a way to add RoCo and Bog next to him with Luka and KP. He's a bench player who is paid like something more, and perhaps the biggest problem with him is not so much the contract as the Mavs' overbelief and overreliance on him.
So I am less harsh on Powell but basically come to the same conclusion. I think Powell benefits a lot from being a system player in Rick's system. I'd also say Powell's success as a roll man is more about Rick than Powell. Remember before Powell we had Brandan Wright who I loved who was in my view a better version of the Powell we have now. His last year here Wright had a FG of 67%. The beauty of Wright was that he was also a great weak side shot blocker. He had matchup issues but he did have a lot of success here overall. My theory with Powell is that if you replaced him with someone who had skills in rim-rolling AND defense you'd be much better off. Rick would take a "good" rim-roller and make him great bc he's putting him next to Luka in great situations.
I also think Powell is already basically a co-starter with Maxi (26, 24 mpg respectively). If Powell was as great as this board says, I believe he'd be more towards 29-30 mpg. Again Powell is fine but he needs to come off the bench long-term for this team to contend.