Maxi Kleber, more than any other Maverick, is deserving of a long period of health.
The 6-10 Kleber is the club’s longest-tenured player, but he’s gotten on everyone’s nerves over the past few years.
Perhaps a lot more than that, in fact.
Kleber played in all 74 games during the COVID-19-ravaged 2019–20 season, although he missed 22 games in 2020–21, 23 games in 2021–22, and 45 games in 2017–18.
There has been a hard patch where most injuries have been minor but nonetheless bothersome.
This was especially frustrating the previous year because it followed the 2022 playoffs, in which Kleber had been instrumental in helping the Mavericks win two of the first three games of their first-round series against Utah (with Luka Doni recovering from a calf strain).
In those three games, he averaged 17.7 points and shot 66.7 percent (14 of 21) from outside the arc.
Then, the previous season was a huge disappointment. This summer has become an essential period of recovery as a result.
“I wanted to make sure I was healthy,” Kleber said of his summer plans. It was quite disheartening to miss out on the action with the squad because of that last year. Therefore, in order to be physically prepared for the demanding NBA season, it was necessary to gradually increase training throughout the summer.
Kleber then announced that he had “fully recovered” from the right hamstring injury that had required surgery in December. He was supposed to sit out the rest of the season, but he ended up playing in 15 more contests.
He certainly wasn’t himself, as evidenced by his 31.9 percent 3-point shooting and 5.5 point average.
The Mavericks as a unit also fell short of expectations. That isn’t entirely coincidental, either.
It’s undeniable that Kleber is crucial to their success. He’s a large man with the ability to switch on almost every defensive play. He blocks shots well from the bench. And a stalwart defender all around. And as a big man who can shoot the three, he’s one of the Mavericks’ finest players at opening up the court.
However, none of that is possible if his wheels are broken.
That’s why the health benefits of this summer were so significant. He was able to devote ample time to repairing his right knee, which had previously given him trouble.
To make up for missing the playoffs last season, Kleber and company must now focus on becoming healthy and ready to play.
Kleber admitted, “Obviously, there’s a certain feeling of that chip on your shoulder, because last year was obviously very disappointing.” We’d like to forget about that, though. There is plenty for us to justify and rectify.
You can count on difficulty. There are a lot of strong clubs in the league, making competition fierce. But we’re confident in our abilities, and we’re determined to make amends for last season.
Even though the schedule has been demanding, Coach Jason Kidd has made it a priority to spend time at training camp instructing the team on how to improve the defense as a whole.
The Mavericks travelled 12 days abroad to play Minnesota twice in Abu Dhabi and Real Madrid, a team not from the NBA.
Kleber thinks the Mavericks will improve their defensive play this year.
“We have a lot of guys that can play really good isolation defense,” he proclaimed. “I don’t think we’re losing anything on the offensive end, and I think we did make some improvements on the defensive end,” the coach said.
Grant Williams, a defensive stalwart who came over from Boston and spent significant time in the Eastern Conference playoffs protecting players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, is one example of an upgrade.
Kleber is well aware that Williams, 7-2 rookie Dereck Lively II, and veteran center Richaun Holmes will be there to assist out defensively on the front line.
According to Kleber, “it’s always a challenge when you have new players come in.” However, there are a lot of seasoned people here who can guide and advise the newcomers.
Grant has developed into a crucial cog for the team. I’ve been keeping tabs on Dereck (Lively II) for the past few weeks while he’s trained, and I’ve been impressed by his understanding of the game and his development as a finisher around the rim and a solid screen setter. And Richaun has a wealth of knowledge to contribute as well.
If Kleber is healthy, it won’t matter what kind of big man rotation Kidd employs.
In fact, nobody is more deserving.
