Rising Stars All-Star nod extra special to Mavericks’ Powell
For a brief moment, Dallas Mavericks center/forward Dwight Powell thought he had an outside chance to compete in the NBA’s All-Star Weekend.
Well, that moment has become a reality.
Powell was selected Wednesday to compete for the World Team in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, which will be held Feb. 12 at 8 p.m.. The bonus for Powell is that the game will be in his hometown of Toronto.
“It’s definitely a great honor,” Powell said before Wednesday’s late game against the Golden State Warriors. “It’s definitely a blessing to be in the situation I’m in now and definitely an honor to be a part of that game.
“It’s kind of a surreal feeling the chances of it, one, me being able to be fortunate enough to have the blessing to be in the game. And as far as it being in my hometown it’s really surreal. Its really a cool added bonus, for sure.”
Powell is averaging 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17 minutes per game this season. Coach Rick Carlisle said “it’s cool” that Powell will be able to compete in the All-Star festivities..
It’s definitely a great honor. It’s definitely a blessing to be in the situation I’m in now and definitely an honor to be a part of that game.
Mavericks forward Dwight Powell on playing in the Rising Stars All-Star Challenge
“He’s a developing player that’s getting better all the time,” Carlisle said. “Your first two years in the NBA you’re going to go through a lot of ups and downs.
“There’s going to be times you feel like you have it figured out and then you get smashed in the face. But he always learns from the tough stretches, he’s a guy with great energy and goes extremely hard and is really loved by all his teammates and I’m very happy for him that he was named to the Rising Stars game because he deserves it, it’s his hometown of Toronto.”
Powell (6-foot-11, 240 pounds) is in his second year in the NBA after the Mavs acquired him on Dec. 18, 2014 from the Boston Celtics as part of the deal to bring in point guard Rajon Rondo. While Rondo and the Mavs bitterly parted ways, Powell has made steady progress in Dallas.
“We all happy for him,” center Zaza Pachulia said. “He’s part of this family, part of this team.
“He’s a young guy who works really hard and really deserves all the success we want for him. It’s not easy to be selected in the Rising Stars your second year, but it’s a good start for him and I’m sure it’s going to be a great motivation for him and something he can build on.”
... He always learns from the tough stretches, he’s a guy with great energy and goes extremely hard and is really loved by all his teammates and I’m very happy for him.
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle on Powell
Powell said it would be extra cool if Dirk Nowitzki is selected to his 14th All-Star game. The All-Star reserves will be announced Thursday.
Harris, Pachulia out
Carlisle said he has no idea if guard Devin Harris will be able to play in Friday’s home game against the Brooklyn Nets.
Harris has missed the past two games with a sprained great left toe.
“I don’t know the complete nature of the injury, but I think it’s a bit of a day-to-day thing,” Carlisle said.
“But look, I know the guy is dying to be out there. He’s one of our best competitors and I’m disappointed for him that he’s going through this right now because he’s a really important part of our team.”
In other injury news, Pachulia is also day-to-day after missing the last three games with a left leg injury.
Nowitzki, meanwhile, sat out Wednesday’s game to rest on the second of a road back-to-back set.
Dwain Price: 817-390-7760, @dwainprice
This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 10:15 PM with the headline "Rising Stars All-Star nod extra special to Mavericks’ Powell."