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Mavs' O-Max Prosper Prepares to Introduce Himself - 'I Feel Like I'm Ready'

Originally posted on FanNation Dallas Basketball
By Dalton Trigg | Last updated 9/26/23

If there's one thing a team can never have enough of in today's NBA, it's 3-and-D wings. Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock played vital roles in the Dallas Mavericks making it to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, but now, both of them are gone, as Finney-Smith was sent to the Brooklyn Nets in February's Kyrie Irving trade, and Bullock was sent to the San Antonio Spurs in July as part of a three-way trade that landed former Boston Celtics' forward Grant Williams in Dallas.

Williams certainly helps fill one of those voids left behind from Finney-Smith and Bullock's departures, as he's known as being a useful 3-and-D role player with playoff experience ... and he's only 24 years old. That said, Williams is only one body, and the Mavs had to replace the production of two key wing spots. That's where promising rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper comes into the picture as Dallas opens training camp on Wednesday.

After the versatile 6-8 forward was acquired by the Mavs with the No. 24 overall pick in this year's draft via trade with the Sacramento Kings, he proceeded to build excitement among Mavs staffers and the fan base with his play at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. In five games, Prosper averaged 12.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 25.4 minutes while also playing tenacious defense and showing off an incredibly-high motor.

With a 230-pound frame that's all muscle, paired with a 7-1 wingspan and 8-8 standing reach, everyone rightfully expects Prosper to excel on the defensive end of the court from the start of his career. However, his offense could end up surprising some people as well.

"In terms of being able to put the ball on the floor, I think we've seen it a little bit in Summer League" Texas Legends head coach Jordan Sears tells DallasBasketball.com. Sears, who has spent time with the Mavs in a video-room and player-development capacity, has been working alongside Prosper all throughout the offseason.

"We saw him play against the likes of Jarace Walker, who was a top-10 pick, and he didn't shy away from it. [O-Max] went straight at him in terms of taking him off the bounce, shooting it from the perimeter, getting to the free-throw line, using pivots. ... As he gets more comfortable, what we can expect out of him going forward will be interesting."

Prosper believes he's prepared for the upgraded physicality the NBA presents, and he attributes part of that to his three years of college basketball experience – one season with Clemson and two with Marquette.

"I do feel like I'm ready," Prosper told DallasBasketball.com this summer when talking about the physical aspect of the NBA. "Especially spending three years in college, it prepared me a lot for that. Being more experienced through that over your typical one-and-done [prospect]."

Although Prosper struggled shooting from deep in Summer-League play – 23.5 percent on 3.4 attempts per game – the Mavs aren't concerned, and they still expect him to fit into one of those highly-valued 3-and-D roles throughout his rookie season.

"O-Max is another guy who is just laser-focused. The first thing we think with a guy like that [him being] a 3-and-D guy. A guy who's going to spot up, wait for the ball to find him, and then he's going to play defense on the other end of the floor," Sears said.

"I think that's something we can expect from him over time throughout the course of this season, because he's able to knock down spot-up shots at a pretty effective rate right now, and he's able to guard positions 1-4. I've seen him do it pretty well, in terms of being able to defend without fouling, move his feet, and use his length to his advantage."

Along with all the on-court abilities Prosper brings to the table, he also plans on being a positive locker-room presence alongside fellow rookie Dereck Lively II by 'talking a lot' and 'building the culture.'

"Me and Dereck are very energetic guys. We're gonna talk a lot in the locker room, we're gonna build the culture up, we're gonna laugh ... we're just gonna grow and help this team and compliment the stars as much as we can overall,” Prosper said.

"I think we're gonna be able to create something special here in Dallas."