Did Powell's injury unlock KP or is it something else?

[michaeltex]

IMO, it's a combination of things.

• Early season, still in recovery mode (even though the knee was medically healed). Part of this process is learning to trust the injury site again and that takes time and getting to the point you are playing and reacting with no thought about the area. 
  
• As part of the recovery and to help ease him back in, the Mavs played him as a stretch 4. Didn't have to immediately bang down low as he built his game stamina back up again, but it relied on a 3pt shot that was still coming back into form, especially under game situations. At the same time, Luka and DP were continuing the PnR routine they developed the previous season, with pretty good success.
  
• He was also now 2nd (or 3rd) banana on the Luka's team, instead of 1st option. Probably has not been in that role in years.
  

• Luka goes out with the 1st ankle injury and KP has the chance to re-assert his primary role, which builds confidence in his physical capability and his game skills. 
  
• Knee soreness keeps him out a few games, but allows KP to watch and maybe relax mentally? Then DP goes down and suddenly he's the main PnR guy for Luka, but before they really get this going, Luka hurts his ankle again and is out for several games. This is when KP really comes into his own. He once again proves capable of taking over games and leading the team to victory. This also give Luka time to observe and understand how to start meshing with KP.
  

• Luka comes back right before the ASG and we get a glimpse of what our Euro Duo™ can do. After a week of rest and recuperation, we are starting to get the level of play and competitiveness we hoped for. Add in THJ's and Seth's nightly contributions and this is a team that might surprise some people in the post season. 
  

They have to continue to develop the skills to close out games and that takes time to learn how to trust each other and make good decisions. I'm reminded of the 90s Rockets championships. They had a couple of years where they were learning how to get over the hump. Similarly, the 2011 Mavs had to figure out how to win when the pressure was on. I'm not saying they will win a championship this year. Maybe not even a 1st round series. But I think the shared experience will be extremely valuable and, for that reason, keeping the core 7-10 players together is critical to building on this year's success in the next season.

My apologies to the TL : DR members.