It became obvious early on that this Dallas Mavericks season wouldn’t be about wins and losses. There would be no playoff push, no late game heroics in the postseason. Not even a solid 41-41 season that might give you some hope for the next year.
So you start thinking about reasons to watch this team. You could settle on a lot of things, but one you could land on is the vibes. You want to have a good time, and maybe the Mavericks can help you with that.
For the most part, they have. Despite having
an atrocious record, they’ve been competitive all season. Cooper Flagg has flashed promise of superstardom, having more than a few huge scoring nights, including a 50-point game recently. The two-way guys brought up from the G League have been fun. Inconsistent, but fun.
But mostly when you have a season like this, you just want to have a good hang with the team. You want an interesting and lively group that can find some joy in the long grind that is the NBA regular season.
That’s where Dwight Powell comes in.
A few weeks back, the Mavericks Instagram account posted a video where the players were asked about their favorite restaurants. They mostly name steakhouses near the American Airlines Center, which fine, whatever. I’m not a food critic, and they probably just want a nice meal where they won’t be bothered. NBA players are mostly very tall, and therefore can’t exactly blend in when out in public.
I’m not going to get upset that not one barbecue place was mentioned. And I understand it’s a drive to Arlington, but Smoke’N Ash is there. I’m not going to say they should try Jose on Lovers, a place featured in Netflix’s Taco Chronicles. I don’t know all the good restaurants.
But this isn’t about Dallas restaurants.
This is about Dwight Powell. His aura. The vibe glowing off this man. Look at him.
And of course he chose Uchi as his favorite restaurant. The man knows good food. He knows Dallas. He knows where the good vibes are.
Don’t talk to me about Powell’s plus/minus, or his points per game. I’m not interested in his shooting percentages. Don’t even think about bringing up his DARKO or RAPTOR rating, I don’t even know what that is. All I care about his is POWELL rating, and it’s off the charts.
Powell is here, creating and maintaining vibes you can’t even begin to consider. Whatever he contributes on the court is just extra for the Mavericks.
Toward the end of the video, Klay Thompson calls Powell the mayor of Dallas. It’s just a joke, of course, but Powell has been here in the Metroplex since 2015. He’s the longest tenured player on the Mavericks by far. He’s seen almost everything here in Dallas, except a championship. He got close in 2024.
The mayor in most cities does a lot of ceremonial duties. They cut ribbons, pose for pictures, shake hands. They set the tone, create the culture. That’s what Powell does for the Mavericks. Sure, he’s willing to step in and play some basketball when needed, but mostly, he is focused on his more important job—keeping the good vibes flowing.
