Mavs Rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper: Instant NBA Impact?
LAS VEGAS — As the Dallas Mavericks continue to play out their Summer League schedule in Las Vegas, the hard-nosed, hustle play of Olivier-Maxence Prosper has continued to shine through.
"Whatever it takes," Prosper said of his mentality. "That's just who I am, the way I play this game. You can't cheat the game. I live by this quote and giving anything less than your best is sacrificing your gift. And for me, any moment I'm out there, I love this game so much that I'm gonna go out there and leave everything I have on the floor each and every night."
Prosper, the 24th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, received limited playing time in the Mavs' loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in their Summer League opener due to only being able to fully participate in one practice prior. He was limited to just 1-on-0 participation until the draft night trade involving him became official.
Despite that, Prosper is averaging 11.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 24.9 minutes per game, while shooting 40.0 percent from the floor, 36.4 percent on 3s, and 73.7 percent on free throws. The Mavs are seeing the impact of a 6-foot-8 wing that takes pride in being a complementary talent on both ends, between being a spot-up shooter, cutter, rebounder, threat to drive, an all-around versatile defender, and just an embrace to make hustle plays.
"Altogether, I just see a downhill aggressive player," Summer Mavs coach Jared Dudley said after Wednesday's game. "He doesn't play with the basketball. He either takes the catch-and-shoot 3 or [gets] downhill. Great versatility guarding."
Prosper's greatest impact came during the Mavs' overtime win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. He finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and one steal in 33 minutes. He made an impact despite not having a single play called for him, which will be needed around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in regular NBA action.
"I didn't call one play for him, and he finds his way into the stat sheet," Dudley said. "We're going to keep working on his 3-ball. He had good looks, some of them went in, and some of them didn't. But he's easy to coach. I have no problem."
With how active of a cutter and offensive rebounder Prosper is, he provides more impact than the typical 3-and-D wing. There is a sense that he could develop into being a viable replacement for Dorian Finney-Smith, who filled an important role at the four as a versatile defender, but was traded midseason to the Brooklyn Nets.
"It brings versatility to our offense. We have Luka and Kyrie, who are two of the best ISO scorers. You gotta have people to protect them," Dudley said. "We're looking for physical guys who can move laterally. Those are tough [to find]. We lost Dorian Finney-Smith for that. We have yet to replace it. This is a kid that is stronger, more ahead of the curve, can handle it, and is a better driver. Finney-Smith, no shade to him, he turned himself into one hell of a player — great corner shooter, a little bit better laterally than Omax, but he has plenty of time."
Prosper has been able to showcase some of his skill-set beyond catch-and-shoot 3s during Summer League action. He's an aggressive driver when there is a lane to attack, but he has an advanced approach in doing so. He often plays off two feet in the paint and uses a shot fake to throw off the defender's timing. It's helped him to get to the free throw line for 6.3 attempts per game in Las Vegas.
"I'd say I really started using it a lot more in the past — I'd say my last year at Marquette," Prosper said. "That offseason before my junior year, I really worked on getting to two feet in the paint, getting guys up in the air. Because when you have heavy loads, heavy gaps, people helping a lot, you ain't always gonna out jump the guy there. Being able to get them in the air — everybody wants to block a shot. Just get him up in the air — getting to the free throw line is great. I love getting to the free throw line. It's just free points. So, any way I can get free throws is great."
Right now, Prosper's jump shot is still a work in progress, but the Mavs appreciate his willingness to continue to let it fly. There is a lot of confidence in his potential to improve in that area as he works on it. However, his willingness to aggressively attack the paint and to draw contact when the opportunities are viewed as instant impact.
"He's an aggressive driver that wants contact, and he does get to the free throw line a lot because of that," Dudley said. "He's not afraid to shoot the 3. And anyone who's not afraid to shoot the three and has the work ethic he has is going to be a hell of a 3-point shooter.
"Give this kid two, max three years, he'll be shooting 38 to 42 percent in those corners and that, and what's going to get him on the floor from the match," Dudley explained.
The level of activity Prosper has provided the Mavs on defense has been rare for a rookie, particularly his verbal communication on defense. He's filled an important on-ball role as a switch defender, funneling drives on Veer switches, and providing help as the low-man or at the nail. It's helped to set a tone for the unit as a whole.
"His energy that he has about himself, he has that rhythm that just gravitates to people with how he plays hard," Prosper said. "He's gonna make you play hard. He talks out there, which is very rare for a rookie. ... OMax is there — 'I'm low man' [or] 'at the nail.'"
With increasingly more continuity, the Mavs have tried to utilize Veer switching more on defense in order to funnel drives to Dereck Lively II, as opposed to staying in traditional pick-and-roll coverage or soft switching. Prosper's versatility as an on-ball defender is an important part of that.
"Each game, we're getting better at it. Veer switching is very much a judgment call," Prosper said. "So it's like you have to make a call in the middle, and whenever it is called, you got to execute it. It's Dereck Lively calling it, or me chasing off the screen. If you call it, then we switch off, and then we just make sure we make it tough for them. Try to make them miss, sometimes they're going to make it. ... Every game, we're getting better at the communication of it."
While it may take time throughout the season for Prosper to find himself defensively, the Mavs are confident in his capability to bring an instant boost after a few months. The discipline that Prosper displays on defense to not commit "dumb fouls" is among the key reasons for that sentiment.
"This season's going to be his defense because he doesn't do dumb fouls," Dudley said. "It'll take him three, four months to get to the speed, and after that, you're gonna see him the second half of the year, I personally believe, helping this team bit by bit."
Prosper's determination to play hard and willingness to be receptive to coaching are two key reasons Dudley envisions the rookie being primed to receive playing time early in his career during the regular season.
"I could see him easily playing for the Mavs this season just because of his defense and his aggressiveness," Dudley said. "Anytime I tell him to do something, He does it automatically, and it's no second-guessing it. He does it a hundred miles an hour, so I respect that."
The Mavs are guaranteed to have one more Summer League matchup, which will take place on Friday against the Indiana Pacers. If Prosper continues to his trend, he will only continue to show progression in his impact.
Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).
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