When the Mavericks jettisoned four starters before the trade deadline, coach Rick Carlisle tried to tell us that besides the acquisitions and $30 million of created salary cap space, there was another silver lining.
Namely, opportunity. Increased playing time for Mavericks whose roles had been limited.
So far, the Maverick who has most impressively capitalized on the opportunity is center Dwight Powell. And it's not really close.
In the eight games since the Feb. 7 trade deadline, he has averaged 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 58-percent shooting in 28.76 minutes per game.
His productivity boost has been even more pronounced in the last four games, with averages of 17 points, 6.