Mavs Training Camp Preview: O-Max Prosper Patiently Waiting for His Opportunity

Last season, all the Dallas Mavericks rookie hype went to Dereck Lively II, and for good reason. The 20-year-old lottery pick out of Duke played well beyond his years, arguably becoming Dallas’ third-most important player during a run to the NBA Finals.

With that being, though, it was the Mavs’ other rookie from the 2023 NBA Draft, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who was expected by many to hit the ground running before Lively.

The 22-year-old forward out of Marquette only appeared in 40 games for the Mavs last season, spending the rest of his time devolving with the Texas Legends in the G League where he averaged 18.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the floor overall and 42.5 percent from deep. However, he feels as if he’s ready to take a leap in his second season.

"Honestly, the biggest lesson (I learned during my rookie season), I think, is learning how to play with my teammates, playing with Luka and Kyrie, and just finding little things that get you on the floor," Prosper told Dallas Basketball during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

"It’s a lot of talented players in this league, and for me as a rookie, it was just being patient and learning how to slow the game down. Because it could be very fast at first. It's a different game than a college game.

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“Learning how to see it before it happens and slowing down, that was the biggest thing that I think my growth over the course of the season is my poise. And now, I'm able to see things before they happen and make better decisions off of that."

Although Prosper has improved and has more experience under his belt, it will be harder than ever for him to crack head coach Jason Kidd’s rotation during the 2024-25 season due to the Mavs’ impressive collection of seasoned talent.

However, a lot can happen during an 82-game season. Injuries happen. Rest days for star players happen. Prosper will likely get a handful of opportunities to play real minutes during his second season. It’ll be up to him to make a great impression.