Dwight Powell gets a rap. The Dallas Mavericks’ ninth-year big man out of Stanford frequently draws the ire of fans for one play or another and is often the butt of jokes because he gets hit in the head or face seemingly every game, thanks to his physical play. The hits never stop coming, too—on the court and off.
Powell immediately lost his job when the Mavericks signed JaVale McGee over the summer. He had been the team’s starting center for 71 regular season games and all 18 playoff games in 2021-22. It hasn’t seemed to faze him, though, as Powell has been a consummate professional and teammate.