Mavericks' Dwight Powell: To continue to see increased playing time

Powell will continue to see increased playing time for the duration of Andrew Bogut's (knee) absence, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports. "[Powell is] progressing game to game, no question about it," coach Rick Carlisle said. "He's gaining experience, recognition of situation, teammates being on the same wavelength with him. Many, many positives."

Analysis:

Powell was already seeing a slight uptick in minutes with Dirk Nowitzki (Achilles) out of the lineup, but the injury to Bogut further weakens the team's depth in the frontcourt. Carlisle has liked what he's seen from the 25-year-old big man of late, and now that he's become more comfortable with the idea of giving Powell extended time on the court, look for him to potentially settle near 30 minutes per game until Bogut or Nowitzki are back in action.