After a productive post-season last year where he saw his minutes increase, Dallas Mavericks power forward Dwight Powell has had an even better summer.

The 25-year-old Canadian became a highly-coveted free agent and the Mavs wasted no time offering him an extension which he signed. He now sits on a four-year, $37 million contract.

Though Powell only started two games in the regular season, he appeared in a total of 69 games and remained healthy through the majority of 2015-2016. He averaged 5.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 14.4 minutes a game. But during the playoffs, he was utilized more and he responded well. He averaged 6.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in 16 minutes in four games.

While appearing in his teammate, Dirk Nowitzki‘s annual Heroes celebrity baseball game last June, he was asked how things may have changed now that he has a new contract coming, and he had this to say, via Mavs.com:

“I mean, for me, it’s business as usual. I show up to the gym and I work. That’s it,”

“My job is to be ready for whatever opportunity I find myself presented with and be ready to perform at the highest level. For me, it’s business as usual. Just in the gym grinding. Hopefully it says that I’m an NBA player, that I belong in the league and that I’m able to perform. I’m willing to work and do whatever it takes to get better. I’m willing to put in the time and the effort and sacrifice to do that to help a team win. Hopefully it’s a positive. I mean, I do work. That’s something I’ve done my whole life and something I was taught at a young age, so it’s part of who I am.”

This professionalism and work ethic is what his head coach, Rick Carlisle is raving about. The Stanford product came in to the gym day and day out just grinding it out without complaining, leaving not just Carlisle but the whole coaching staff impressed. He earned their trust and was given a start during one of the team's low points last season, when they were three games below .500.

Better than expected, the 6-foot-11 big man scored a career-high 16 points and corralled seven rebounds in the victory. His performance inspired his team and the Mavs won five more after that. This was considered by most as the turning point of the team's season, eventually leading them to the playoffs.

On Earl K. Sneed's report for Mavs.com, he got a chance to speak with Dallas' head coach who only had good things to say about the 45th overall pick of the 2014 draft. He also knows that Powell is part of the team's future, where they look to compete yearly in the tough Western Conference:

“You know, he’s a developing young player that’s getting better all the time, 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. That’s just how it is. That’s how it was when I played in the league, but he always learns from the tough stretches. He’s a guy with great energy, and he goes extremely hard. He’s 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.”