Klay Thompson, O-Max Prosper Spearhead Fun Night of Mavs Basketball
Dallas Mavericks basketball has been a slog since Christmas Day, but Monday night gave fans several reasons to smile again.
To say it’s been a tough season for the Dallas Mavericks would be a major understatement. They’ve dealt with injuries and illnesses to over half their roster through the first 47 games, including superstar Luka Doncic being out with a left calf strain since Christmas Day.
All that misfortune has resulted in most games feeling like a chore to watch, but on Monday night at American Airlines Center, the Mavs gave fans several reasons to smile again during their 130-108 trouncing of the Washington Wizards.
‘Greatness Still Within’ Klay Thompson
This game was essentially over before the end of the first quarter thanks to Klay Thompson tying the Mavs’ all-time record for most 3s made in a quarter. The four-time champion and future Hall-of-Famer poured in 21 of his game-high 23 points in the opening period while shooting a blistering 7-of-12 from deep in just 24 minutes of action.
Although Thompson is in the latter stages of his career at 34, this kind of performance proves that he still has a lot left in the tank.
“You do something like that, it reminds you that there’s greatness still within you,” Thompson said. “I love to use this quote: ‘Be at your best when your best is needed,’ and I know I have another level to reach and we have so much basketball ahead of us.
“The one thing I learned is you can’t force those great nights, you have to let them happen.”
Thompson signed with the Mavs in the offseason because he believed they’d give him his best shot at winning a fifth championship. That vision still has a chance to become a reality as he starts to heat up and Dallas’ roster gets healthier in the second half of the season.
No More Training Wheels for O-Max Prosper
With all the injuries the Mavs have endured, especially the latest with veteran forward Maxi Kleber being sidelined with a fractured foot, there are no more excuses for head coach Jason Kidd limiting Olivier-Maxence Prosper’s playing time. The 22-year-old sophomore forward has been impressive in his limited opportunities this season, showcasing endless high intensity on both ends of the court.
On Monday, Prosper tied his career-high in points with 20 on 7-of-11 shooting overall, 2-of-4 from deep and 4-of-6 from the free throw line. Although Prosper’s development has taken a little longer than his 2023 NBA Draft teammate Dereck Lively II, these latest flashes of his potential couldn’t have come at a better time… and Lively has been one of his biggest supporters.
“Me and (Lively) are real close,” Prosper said. “Whenever I go out there and I first check in, this guy is like, ‘take a deep breath, be you.’ He knows the work I put in. He sees the hours I put in behind the scenes. Anytime I come out, I turn down a three, he’s like, ‘shoot the three! You’re open!’ … He wants me to be great.”
Although we hate that Kleber suffered a foot injury and wish him all the best with his recovery, it might end up being a blessing in disguise for Dallas simply because Kidd is forced to take the training wheels off of Prosper. There’s always an extremely high energy level to Prosper’s game, but you could tell he reached an even higher gear on Monday night. Perhaps that’s the kind of freedom that comes with knowing you’re still going to play a lot of minutes even if you make a few mistakes.
“This is kind of like what I need to do. Rebound and all that stuff,” Prosper said. “And now when I get the shot, it’s just about calming myself down. This is the player that I am. This is how I’ve always done it. It’s all about conditioning and then you put out this energy and now you’re open, knock it down and calm yourself down in that moment. You gotta always bring that energy no matter what.”
Even when the Mavs get healthy again, Prosper should, at the very least, stay ahead of Kleber in Kidd’s rotation.
P.J. Washington > Kyle Kuzma
When it’s all said and done, Mavs GM Nico Harrison pulling off a deal for P.J. Washington instead of Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma at last season’s trade deadline will likely be one of the most important pivots in franchise history. Dallas ended up getting Washington at a cheaper price than they would’ve paid for Kuzma, and Washington is clearly the better player from both an overall talent and fit perspective.
In their latest head-to-head, Washington finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal while shooting 9-of-14 from the floor and being a +23 in 25 minutes. On the flip side, Kuzma ended up with seven points and six rebounds on 3-of-11 shooting while being a -31 in just 21 minutes.
Kuzma didn’t want to join the Mavs last season because he didn’t believe they were a true title contender. Dallas responded by making their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2011, and Kuzma’s Wizards currently have the worst record in the league at 6-39. One has to wonder if he’d do things differently if he could go back to last season’s trade deadline, but Mavs fans should be thrilled with how things turned out.
Game Ball for the New Guy!
Less than 24 hours after being signed to a two-way contract, former Oregon State and G League product Kylor Kelley found himself making his official NBA debut while wearing a Mavs uniform.
“I was getting ready for (South Bay Lakers) practice (Sunday), getting treatment, and my agent called me up and said, ‘when’s your next game?’ I said, ‘probably Tuesday or Wednesday.’ He said, ‘nah, you’re getting picked up by the Dallas Mavericks,” Kelley said.
“It was mind-blowing. I was speechless for about two minutes. I had to call all my family and friends. It’s been a crazy 24 hours. This was out of the blue.”
At 27 years old, Kelley took a long path to get to the NBA. After playing junior college ball for two years, the 7-footer then spent two years at Oregon State before going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft. For the last five years, Kelley has played on a handful of G League teams and overseas organizations.
Who knows how long Kelley will stick around as the Mavs get their big men back from injuries, but this was yet another example of something good coming from a bad situation. Kelley received the game ball after he scored one point and grabbed four rebounds in eight minutes during his debut. He was celebrated in the locker room by Kidd, Kyrie Irving and the rest of his teammates, creating a memory he’ll never forget.
Credit: Dallas Mavericks / X
Some might think Monday night’s win against the worst team in the league didn’t mean much since the Mavs were in expected to win. But given the hardships Dallas has battled through over the last month, both the team and the fan base needed a perfect, stress-free night. We’ll see if the Mavs can keep the good vibes rolling in New Orleans on Wednesday night.
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ICYMI: Our exclusive sit-down with Mavs GM Nico Harrison, discussing Dallas’ injuries, trade deadline strategies, Klay Thompson’s impact and more. ⬇️
