Dwight Powell joins Mavericks’ “leadership council,” per training camp report

Sep 28, 2022 - 8:02 PM

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According to Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News, Dwight Powell has joined Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway Junior as the new third seat on the infamous “leadership council.”

The council first appeared nearly a year ago, when Jason Kidd announced that Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Tim Hardaway Junior were the presiding officers that encouraged him to play all 15 players during the home opener against the Rockets. Other duties of the leadership council were cloaked in mystery, but we can only assume that it continued to orchestrate many important behind-the-scenes summits within the Mavs’ locker room.

As Callie references in her tweet, council member Kristaps Porzingis was suddenly banished when he was traded to the Washington Wizards. When news of the trade broke, MFFL’s had one thing on their mind: how does this affect the leadership council? Will someone take KP’s seat? Is there an election process? Will the council dissolve completely? Big Dallas Mavericks REFUSED to answer these questions, leaving fans in a state of bewilderment.

Apparently, the Mavericks were focused on trivial things like “making the playoffs” and “advancing the Western Conference Finals” instead of addressing the elephant in the room. Many chose to forget about the leadership council altogether, dismissing it as a silly bit from the early, dark times of the 2021-2022 season.

But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the council is reborn; Dwight Powell is here to restore it to its former glory. There was intense speculation earlier in the offseason that Powell might not even be on this roster by training camp, the JaVale McGee signing rendering his role on the team obsolete. Few could have foreseen Powell being elevated to such a lofty position within the franchise. Initial reaction to the news includes the theory that Powell’s spot on the council is cursed in a Defense-Against-the-Dark-Arts style manner. Powell’s critics see this as a sign that Powell will be shipped out by the trade deadline, a la Porzingis a season ago. But if history is any guide, this is foolish speculation. Dwight Harlan Powell will not go quietly into that good night. Never tell him the odds. I am confident he will step into his new role on the council with heart, hustle, and humility, now until the bitter end.