Mavs Rookie O-Max Prosper Has Career Night: 'I Feel More Comfortable Out There'

Originally posted on FanNation Dallas Basketball
By Dalton Trigg | Last updated 12/23/23

Heading into Friday night's matchup with the Houston Rockets, the Dallas Mavericks probably knew what was in store for them, as they were without Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II, Dante Exum and others due to various injuries.

Despite enduring a blowout loss, the Mavs, now 16-12 on the season after three consecutive losses, got to see some positive signs from young players who could be key role players later down the line. One of those players was rookie forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who finished with a team-high 20 points and six rebounds while shooting 6-13 overall and 7-9 from the free-throw line in 30 minutes off the bench.

"Overall, it always feels good to be out there and just play," Prosper said after his career night. "I was just coming into the game knowing that I was going to need to be aggressive today with a lot of guys out. So I was just going to play as hard as I can and let the results be."

No matter how big of a role Prosper plays on a night-to-night basis, he approaches each game with the same mentality and high energy that impressed the Mavs during his pre-draft process during the summer.

"My approach doesn't change whether I play a lot of minutes or not," Prosper said. "I've gotta come in and be ready to play whenever my number is called, and today I knew that I was going to be out there for a long time, so it was just about being ready and play the way that I play.

"I don't play any different whether I play two minutes or 25 minutes. It's just about playing as hard as I can, knowing what to do defensively and being a spark for this team. That's just how my mindset is regardless of how many minutes I play."

Although Friday's game ended up being mostly a throwaway for the Mavs, it's still a positive that Prosper was able to gain some more experience by playing real NBA minutes and not just garbage-time minutes. The more the 6-8 versatile forward sees firsthand, the better he'll be as his rookie season progresses.

"The biggest thing is, I feel more comfortable out there," Prosper said. "I have minutes under my belt now to the point where I understand what's going on out there. ... That's the biggest thing: being able to read the game quicker, whether it's defensively or offensively, that's the biggest growth.

"Just staying confident, you know? Whether I don't play a lot or I play a lot, just a next-game mentality, because it's a long season and you never know when your number's going to be called, and today was an example of that."

With uncertainty surrounding the Mavs' long list of injuries, Prosper might have himself another big opportunity on Saturday night, as Dallas takes on Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurts on the second night of a back-to-back.