Dallas Mavericks: Maxi Kleber loves to throw down a dunk

Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber loves to dunk and fans should expect his personality to shine through when it happens.

The Dallas Mavericks found a gem in Maxi Kleber. He signed a two-year deal in 2017. Kleber was already 26 years old, and the German was not a highly touted NBA prospect.

What he has done since joining the Mavs is remarkable. Kleber battled for minutes in a deep frontcourt all season. He proved worthy of an every night role because of his rim protecting ability. Kleber is averaging 19.9 minutes per game and blocking 1.2 shots a night.

Protecting the rim is not Maxi Kleber’s only skill, though. He can stretch the floor. Kleber is attempting three 3-pointers a game and hitting them at a 34.1 percent (or just under league average) clip. Maxi also loves to dunk. Below is a video courtesy of the Mavericks official Twitter about his dunking prowess.

Kleber has been known to rock a rim or two. On the season, he is 36 of 37 on dunks according to NBA Stats. Kleber has also converted 13 of 15 alley-oop attempts. He has been most effective as a cutter according to Synergy.

Maxi Kleber enters restricted free agency this offseason, and he will be an interesting test case. Kleber has proven to be a worthy role player, but most effective as a bench big man. He just turned 27 in late Jan. making him an older restricted free agent.

Will some team throw a pile of money at Kleber in hopes of stealing him away from Dallas? The Mavericks are expected to be interesting in retaining his services, but the cost will matter.

Final thoughts

Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber loves to dunk and is hoping to make that a larger part of his game moving forward. Coach Carlisle could create a few more opportunities for him by running plays where Kleber cuts to the basket. Fans know Luka Doncic rarely misses an open man.

Kleber has been a pleasant surprise for two straight seasons. The Wurzburg product continues to expand his game and prove worthy of playing more minutes.

Getting minutes in the Mavs frontcourt is difficult. Since the trades, Kleber minutes have increased to 24.7 per game, though. Expect more playing time down the stretch. The Dallas Mavericks love his ability to protect the rim and stretch the floor. Fans will be rooting for a few more dunks as well.