Dallas Mavs' Jason Kidd Makes Intriguing Comparison for O-Max Prosper

Mavs coach Jason Kidd made an intriguing comparison for rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper as he continues to develop.

Apr 14, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper (18) / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — During the final two games of the Dallas Mavericks' regular season, the team had ample opportunity to focus on player development since a top-five seed in the Western Conference standings had already been clinched.

A bright spot for the Mavs during this stretch was rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who averaged 15.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 33.2 minutes per game, shooting 42.3% from the floor, 40.0% from beyond the arc, and 71.4% on free throws.

"For O-Max to buy into the plan and to be able to execute the plan, you can see the results in the last two games," Kidd said. "He's played at a very high level for us."

Apr 14, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper (18) / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

With Prosper being 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, he possess intriguing physical intangibles for a wing player. With his increasing ability to shoot and make plays off the dribble, Kidd sees some similarities with teammate P.J. Washington.

"Just understanding what the future holds for him is very bright. When you look at his size and his ability to shoot the three and put it on the floor, I'm not saying he's [P.J. Washington] but there are some similarities there."

With the Legends, Prosper averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, boasting a shooting accuracy of 51.2% from the field, 42.5% from beyond the arc (on 5.3 attempts per game), and 76.7% from the free-throw line. Spending time in the G League afforded him chances to play through mistakes and have a more substantial role than he would by observing from the sidelines.

"It helped me a lot, as you guys can see now," Prosper said. "It's just like, being in the G... Don't get me wrong, I would love to be up here and play here. This is the opportunity I had, and I took full advantage of it. I knew it was going to help me with my development and me getting more comfortable.

Against the Thunder, the Mavs empowered Prosper to play 37 minutes and receive more opportunities to be the focus of the offense. He finished with 15 points and eight rebounds but shot 5-14 from the floor and 2-6 from deep after scoring 11 points in the first quarter amidst a hot start.

"He stacked another good day from the other night," Kidd said. "I thought Maybe fatigue caught up to him, but overall, there were a lot of positives to get us to score. But I think he is just showing his ability to shoot the three and put the ball on the floor."

The Mavs particularly emphasized deploying Prosper more in pick-and-rolls to see how he handled processing reading the defense.

"We wanted him to run some pick-and-rolls to see how he handled that and decision-making," Kidd said. "I thought he did an incredible job in the last two games."

Similar to many G League affiliates and their corresponding NBA teams, the Texas Legends implement strategies that align with those of the Mavs. Prosper has capitalized on this opportunity to actively engage with these concepts during practices, which has contributed to his skill development.

"He stacked another good day from the other night," Kidd said. "I thought maybe fatigue caught up to him, but overall, there were a lot of positives to get us to score. But I think he is just showing his ability to shoot the three and put the ball on the floor."

Prosper focuses on managing his pace and learning from his teammates as he adapts to the NBA style. He is progressing as long as he continues to enhance his decision-making and takes quality shots.

"The biggest thing is just slowing down," Prosper said. "Slowing down out there, seeing what's in front of me, taking the right shots, and just learning how to play with my teammates."

While much attention is given to improving Prosper's perimeter shooting and his ability to create plays off the dribble, he understands the significance of his defensive role in his NBA career. He maintains it as a central part of his development.

"I didn't play as much with them this year, but just keep learning how to play with them and just keep working on my efficiency and my defense," Prosper said. "Defense is a big key of my game, and I take a lot of pride in that. And, you know, I'm going to end up guarding the best wings in the world. So I got to keep working on that, and that's what I focus on."

As long as Prosper continues to display progression, there is a realistic chance he can earn consistent playing time next season.

“It’s very promising when you talk about Hardy and O-Max, just the development and depth that you can see,” Kidd said. “Those two didn’t get a lot of minutes this season because of our depth. As we move forward with contracts and trades, those are two young guys that can fill the spots if others are gone or hurt.”