DALLAS – Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber has completely dislocated the AC joint in his right shoulder, putting his postseason in jeopardy, The Athletic's Shams Charania reports.
Kleber was injured in Game 6 against the Los Angeles Clippers when he was fouled by Amir Coffey about a minute into the second quarter. He went down hard, tried to shoot free throws, and ultimately left the game and did not return.
April 28, 2024. Dallas, Texas, USA.Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots in Dallas
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In a postgame interview, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd was not aware of the severity of Kleber's injury but emphasized the need to maintain a “next man up” mentality. Dallas is 23-16 this season without Kleber in the lineup, but Kleber missed a significant amount of games early in the season due to a dislocated right little finger.
Kleber averaged 5.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists this postseason, shooting 52.4 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent from beyond the arc. His defensive versatility and floor-spacing options that allow him to switch and guard in space allow Dallas to utilize him next to a traditional center like Daniel Gafford or Derek Lively II, allowing him to play small ball. I slid it to the center spot in the configuration.
“Maxi's role remains the same,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “He's out there to contribute defensively and offensively to spread the floor and knock down open threes and make plays for his teammates.”
Kleber's perimeter shooting was critical to the Mavericks' playoff success. In Game 5 against the Los Angeles Clippers, he made 4 of 6 3-point shots in the first half and added one in the second half, scoring 15 points, giving the Mavericks a 3-2 series lead at the time. contributed to. When shots are falling, he becomes a key spacing threat for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
“It was great,” Doncic said of Kleber's play in Game 5. “I think we created a lot of open shots, and it helped that Maxi went down three games in a row. The whole team, the energy, the bench came into the game. “He made a lot of big shots today. Ta. ”
Clever's presence on the court will allow the Mavericks to create open shots and put pressure on the defense.Dallas will need to rely more on alternative options going forward.
“It's very important for us to have Luka and Kyrie running the offense,” Kleber said. “The more they attack, the more the defense collapses and everyone else gets open. That's how we create those shots.”
The Mavericks will have to rely on players on the bench to fill the void left by Kleber's injury and will have to test the team's depth and resiliency as they continue their postseason journey. Considering they will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, a versatile complement to a versatile big man like Chet Holmgren and other talents with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the head of the Snake. Loss of professional talent can be difficult to overcome. they have.
