DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks are preparing for a five game road trip as the NBA playoffs draw near. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have continued to lead the team, while players such as Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II have stepped up as well. One player who is not receiving as much attention but has played an important role for the Mavs is versatile big man Maxi Kleber.
Kleber's statistics don't always jump off the page. He is averaging 4.4 points per game on 41.5 percent field goal and 32.4 percent three-point shooting during the 2023-24 season. Kleber is also recording 3.3 rebounds per contest as well.
He tends to make a positive impact when he is on the floor, however. In fact, Kleber has a plus-minus of plus-59 for the season, per StatMuse. He's averaging just under 21 minutes per game, so he is on the floor often enough to make his impact felt.
Head coach Jason Kidd knows role players such as Kleber will play an important role as the 2023-24 campaign winds down.
“I think we've always relied kind of a security blanket with Maxi,” Kidd said of Kleber at practice on Sunday. “When you talk about playing Maxi at the five or four… Our defense plays at a high rate with him on the floor and then his ability to stretch the defense and being able to knockdown the three. Before we get to the playoffs, we expect him to play at a high level. We expect him to continue to play like that in the playoffs.”
Maxi Kleber's important role for competitive Mavericks team
Again, Kleber's numbers are not going to reinforce too much confidence. He's struggled at times shooting the ball, and he isn't always a top rebounder. However, he finds ways to add value to the Mavs.
The Mavericks recently defeated the San Antonio Spurs 113-107. Kleber scored just five points on 2-2 shooting. He did add four assists, however. In the end, Kleber finished the game with an outstanding plus-minus of plus-27.
Kleber added seven points on 2-3 shooting to go along with three assists in Dallas' 113-97 victory over the Utah Jazz on Thursday.
Perhaps his efficiency plays a role. Kleber has not taken more than three shots in any of his past five games played. His ability to stretch the floor is pivotal, and it forces defenses to keep an eye on him. Even if he is only taking three or less shots in games, Kleber's presence on the floor gives defenses something extra to think about when playing against the Mavericks.
Overall, he is averaging 3.6 field goal attempts per game, according to Basketball Reference. Kleber's 2.2 three-point attempts per game are enough to catch opponent's attention.
Another element of Kleber's game is that he doesn't typically take bad shots. He will either take an open three-pointer or finish near the basket. His offensive game is quite efficient, although he doesn't average many attempts.
Players like Kleber won't make-or-break a team's playoff chances. They do, however, give teams better opportunities to find success in the postseason. Don't be surprised if Kleber plays a surprisingly crucial role during the Mavericks' postseason run.
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