It’s been a while since Maxi Kleber had a night like he did against the Phoenix Suns last month. Kleber scored 15 points and appeared confident shooting the hoop on December 27, the night Naji Marshall was dismissed for his altercation with Jusuf Nurkic. He appeared to be more at ease shooting with a slew of other Mavericks on the court, and he was in a groove that had been unusual for him this season.
Since that night, he has continued to play significant minutes, but it is not compensating for his ineffective offense, as the Mavericks have now lost four straight games. It’s fair to note that without Marshall, Kyrie Irving, and Luka Doncic, it’s more difficult for everyone to score, given how good each of them is at creating open looks for their teammates, but Kleber’s performance at least needs to be discussed before of a crucial deadline. Kleber’s timid offensive performances hurt the Mavs.
Kleber played significant minutes and started numerous games for the Mavericks from 2019 to 2022. He started 82 games over the course of three seasons. He appeared to be a serious threat on both sides of the ball. He played his finest basketball in the 2019-20 season, averaging 9.1 points and 1.1 blocks per game. He was an excellent floor-stretching big who could switch on defense and make open jumpers, and he appeared to be a valuable asset to Dallas for many years.
From all of the injuries from 2022 to the present, it appears that something has changed, and not for the better. This season, Kleber is averaging 2.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, both career lows. Kleber’s offensive performances have been inconsistent in previous seasons. He’s essentially become a defensive specialist by playing strong, clean defense in the paint against opposing bigs, but even his defense isn’t enough to justify his continued use.
It is not simple to urge someone to perform the dirty job on defense, but Kleber’s attacking timidity has been difficult to witness. Shooting the ball is stressed in today’s basketball, and Kleber not even taking the same shots he did many years ago raises the possibility of Kleber being traded, given that there are already whispers that they are looking to move him.
Jason Kidd has given Kleber lots of minutes, even at the end of close, tight games. His defense should be recognized for picking up the slack and making defensive plays. However, his style of play was effective four years ago due to his balanced play on both sides of the field. Kidd has trusted Kleber over the youthful Olivier-Maxence Propser because of his defensive expertise and size. Despite the fact that Kleber appears to have the upper hand right now, that difference is narrowing if Prosper continues to progress.
There’s little doubt that Mavs fans have adored Kleber over the years for his hard work and competitive spirit. He will never lose that image. However, his poor offensive play will be a problem as we approach February. He is hesitant to let it fly from downtown, which was once one of his most effective moves. His clumsiness on the offensive end makes him unplayable, regardless of what he offers on defense, and it will be fascinating to see whether the Mavs remain with him in the future.
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