On Saturday afternoon, Maxi Kleber suffered a foot fracture, adding to the Dallas Mavericks’ apparently never-ending string of injury problems. Dallas was already missing numerous players in this game against the Boston Celtics, including Naji Marshall, Luka Doncic, Dante Exum, Dwight Powell, and Dereck Lively II, and Kleber’s injury created an undeniable “hole” that needed to be filled immediately. Jason Kidd stated that he has “never seen anything like it” in terms of Dallas’ injury luck, and that there is a significant “hole” at that position that isn’t “going to get any better, so, we’ll see.”
The Mavericks play the Washington Wizards tomorrow, and after Kleber went down on Saturday, the team quickly found a replacement big man to hold down the paint until Powell, Lively II, and Kleber returned to the court. Dallas Mavericks sign Kylor Kelley to a two-way contract. On Sunday evening, the Mavericks announced the signing of 7-foot center Kylor Kelley to a two-way contract while dismissing Jazian Gortman, and we now know who will play alongside Daniel Gafford going forward. Kelley played with the South Bay Lakers of the G League this season, averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. He also played with the Los Angeles Lakers during training camp and the preseason this year.
Kelley appears to be the ideal choice to play center for the Mavericks in the future, and his skill set will be relatively easy for Dallas’ role players to acclimate to. He is a good lob catcher, rim protector, and athleticism, all of which have contributed to Gafford and Lively II’s success in the Mavericks system. Dallas’ center position has been a huge strength over the last year, with both Gafford and Lively II performing at an exceptional level, but with Lively II and Kleber’s recent injuries occurring far too frequently, it was evident that someone else needed to be brought in.
Some Mavericks supporters asked for the team to sign Jamarion Sharp to address this need, and while Kelley doesn’t have the same 7-foot-5 frame that Sharp does, it’s still a significant plus that he is a 7-footer. Kelley will immediately become the Mavericks’ second-tallest player, after only Lively II, and his huge stature will benefit the team right away. He’ll be able to fit right in with the way Dallas plays on both ends of the court, and a new body in the center room should inject some much-needed energy into the lineup.
Mavericks fans may get their first chance to watch Kelley play on Monday night against the Wizards, and he’ll have a wonderful mentor to learn from in Gafford over the next few weeks. Gafford has recently played some of his finest basketball, and Dallas now has some size and agility to back him up. Gafford’s energy has lately reached an all-time high, and not having to bear as much of a load should allow him to maintain this level of vigor.
Kelley could play a significant role right away because he and Gafford are the only two healthy bigs on the roster, and he has the potential to become a household name in this league if he seizes this rare opportunity.
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