DALLAS — During the Dallas Mavericks' final two games of the regular season, the team had ample opportunity to focus on player development, as a top-five seed in the Western Conference standings was already locked in. .
A bright spot for the Mavs during this period has been rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who averaged 15.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 33.2 minutes, shooting 42.3% from the floor, 40.0% from beyond the arc, 71.4% was recorded. With free throws.
“The last two games will tell us if O-Max can buy into the plan and execute the plan,” Kidd said. “He's been playing at a very high level for us.”
April 14, 2024. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. Dallas Mavericks Forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper (18)
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Prosper is 6-foot-8 and has a 7-foot-1 wingspan, giving him attractive athleticism for a wing player. Kidd, who has improved his ability to shoot and play off the dribble, has noticed that his teammate has some similarities with P.J. Washington.
“Just understanding what his future is going to be, it's very bright. If you look at his size and his ability to shoot the three and put him on the floor, I'm not saying he's not. do not have” [P.J. Washington] But there are some similarities. ”
During his time as a legend, Prosper averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, shooting 51.2 percent from the field, 42.5 percent from beyond the arc (5.3 attempts per game), and 76.7 percent from the free throw line. . . Spending time in the G League gave him a chance to play through his mistakes and play a more important role than sitting on the sidelines.
“As you can see, it helped me a lot,” Prosper said. “It's like being in the G League…don't get me wrong, I want to get up here and play here. This is an opportunity given to me and I'm going to make the most of it.” I took full advantage of it to help me grow and become more comfortable.
Against the Thunder, the Mavs authorized Prosper to play 37 minutes, giving him more opportunities to be the focal point of the offense. He finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, but had a strong start, scoring 11 points in the first quarter before shooting 5-of-14 from the floor and 2-of-6 from deep.
“He just had another good day from last night,” Kidd said. “I thought maybe the fatigue caught up with him, but overall there were a lot of positive things that led to points. But he's shown the ability to hit threes and put the ball on the floor. I think it's just that.”
The Mavs specifically made a point of putting Prosper in the pick-and-roll more to read the defense and see how he handles things.
“We wanted to run him some pick-and-rolls and see how he handles it and makes decisions,” Kidd said. “I think he's done an unbelievable job the last two games.”
Like many G League affiliate teams and their NBA counterparts, the Texas Legends run a strategy that matches that of the Mavs. Prosper took advantage of this opportunity to actively work on these concepts during practice, contributing to the improvement of his skills.
“He just had another good day from last night,” Kidd said. “I thought maybe fatigue caught up with him, but overall there were a lot of positive things that led to points. But he showed the ability to hit threes and put the ball on the floor. I think it's just that.”
Prosper focuses on managing his pace and learning from his teammates in order to adapt to the NBA style. As long as he continues to strengthen his decision-making and take quality shots, he's progressing.
“The biggest thing is to slow down,” Prosper said. “Just learning to slow down, see what’s in front of me, make the right shots and how to play with my teammates.”
While much of the attention has been focused on Prosper's improved perimeter shooting and ability to create plays off the dribble, he understands the importance of his defensive role in his NBA career. He maintains it as a central part of his own development.
“I didn't play them a lot this year, but I'm just going to continue to learn how to play with them and continue to work on my efficiency and defense,” Prosper said. “Defense is a big key to my game and I'm very proud of it. And, you know, I'm going to end up defending the best winger in the world. So I I had to keep working on it, and that's what I'm focused on.”
As long as Prosper continues to show progress, there's a real chance he'll get consistent playing time next season.
“When you talk about Hardy and Omax, it's very promising. It's just the visible development and depth,” Kidd said. “Due to our depth, those two didn't have a lot of playing time this season. As we move forward with signings and trades, if other players drop out or get injured, These two young players can fill that void.”
