Dallas Mavericks final month stock watch: 5 risers, 5 fallers

After Sunday' win against the Denver Nuggets, the Dallas Mavericks are now 39-29 on the season.

This now gives Dallas a needed win after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, and bouncing back was crucial for this team.

Dallas' next game is on Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs, and after Sunday's win, they're in a good spot. The Mavs control their own destiny at this point of the season and fans should be excited about what this team is capable of once the NBA Playoffs roll around.

Dallas Mavericks final month stock watch: 5 risers, 5 fallers

Almost everyone is healthy, and the Mavs are in a position to make a playoff run if they can continue to play at a high level.

While the Mavs as a team are playing great, there are always players whose stocks are rising and falling.

Here are five Dallas Mavericks whose stocks are falling and five whose stocks are rising as the NBA season ends in less than a month.

10. Rising: Kyrie Irving

After a slow start to the month of March, Dallas Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving put on a show against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night. Irving finished with 36 points and 12 assists and was a big reason that the Mavs were close to knocking off the Thunder on the road.

Irving was getting to his spots, facilitating at an elite level, and keeping the Mavericks in this game. He started off hot and aggressive, and the Mavs are at their best when he plays assertively in the first quarter.

This is a hard tightrope to walk, especially considering that Luka Doncic likes to get rolling in the first quarter, but finding a way to get Doncic and Irving going early would be great for Dallas.

Irving continues to prove that he can take the game over at any time, and consistency from him could be exactly what they need. Everyone knows what Doncic is going to do on a nightly basis, but if Irving can also be this dominant consistently, the Mavs could surprise some people in the playoffs.

9. Falling: Josh Green

On Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Josh Green went down with a nasty ankle sprain and was in serious pain. Green can't catch a break with injuries, as he missed time earlier in the year with an elbow injury, and this ankle injury came at the worst possible time.

The Mavs were finally starting to build some continuity with their new-look squad, and losing a key contributor in Green was not ideal.

This season for Dallas, Green is averaging 8.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from downtown. These numbers are extremely similar to his numbers from last season, and inconsistency continues to plague his young career.

Green has had stretches where he has looked like an everyday starter, and he has had other stretches where he looks as if he can't contribute much. He has scored in double-digits just twice in the last 13 games, and he has had five or fewer points in five of those games.

You never know what you're going to get from Green offensively, but his hustle and energy are always high. Green is always one of the first players diving onto the floor for a loose ball, and his ability to full-court press is excellent.

Green is still young and has tons of potential, but his stock has been falling latey.

8. Rising: Daniel Gafford

The Dallas Mavericks' trade for Daniel Gafford has paid off in a massive way, and he is looking like he could be a key piece for this team for years to come.

This season for Dallas, Gafford is averaging 11.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 0.7 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 77.4 percent from the field. Gafford'ss efficiency has been a major strength of his since Dallas traded for him, and he recently was just two consecutive makes without a miss from breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record. To be mentioned in the same sentence as Chamberlain is an honor on its own, and Gafford has been on a historical run even though he fell short of the record.

Lately, Gafford has seemed to be much more aggressive when attacking the rim. Rather than just seeing Gafford catch lobs, we have seen him put the ball on the floor and posterize some defenders lately. He has also been a monster on the glass, and his energy is second to none.

Gafford ignites the American Airlines Center crowd every time he is in the game, and his offensive rebounding, shot-blocking, and dunks are appreciated by the fans.

Gafford has routinely been the starting center for Dallas as of late, and his stock continues to rise.

7. Falling: P.J. Washington

When the Dallas Mavericks traded for P.J. Washington at the trade deadline, every Mavs fan was excited about his potential. Washington quickly became the Mavs' best defender, but his struggles offensively have been evident recently.

So far in Dallas, Washington is averaging 11.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from three. As shown in his stats, Washington is a monster defensively, but his offense hasn't come along as quickly as some may have expected.

Washington looks great when getting downhill and finishing in the paint at the rim or with a floater, but his 3-point shot has been a big concern lately. Against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, Washington shot 0-7 from downtown, and if he could have knocked down a few of those open looks, that game could have gone differently.

All of the blame shouldn't fall on Washington from that game, but he must be better as a shooter if he wants to succeed in Dallas. With the way the Mavs play, the players on the wings have to be able to knock down open looks. That is why players like Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock (at times) were so great in Dallas.

Their bread and butter was playing tough-nosed defense, but they could also knock down open threes. Washington's ceiling is much higher than Finney-Smith's, but if he can't consistently knock down open looks, his stock could continue to fall.

6. Rising: Luka Doncic

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is getting better and better by the day, and his performances continue to get more unbelievable. Doncic was just on a streak in which he dropped six-straight 30-point triple-doubles, and his offensive improvements have been mesmerizing this season.

Doncic has turned into an excellent 3-point shooter off the catch, and that has helped him become a threat when off the ball. Before, Doncic would often get caught standing around when the ball wasn't in his hands, but now he is a threat to shoot off the catch. In years past, it was typically an incoming brick if Doncic shot a catch-and-shoot three from the wing, but now he is deadly in this area.

Doncic has also been a much more efficient scorer at the rim, and he usually controls the game from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

This season for the Mavs, Doncic is averaging 34.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from downtown. Doncic's 3-point percentage went from 34.2 percent last season to 37.8 percent this season, and he has quietly become one of the best shooters in the league.

Doncic's efficiency on over 10 attempts from downtown per game is unheard of, especially with the type of shots he takes, and I fully expect for his stock to continue to rise.

Especially once the playoffs hit.

5. Falling: Maxi Kleber

This season, one of the harder players to evaluate on the Dallas Mavericks has been Maxi Kleber.

Kleber did battle a nagging toe injury earlier in the season, but his stats have been way down when looking at them compared to years past. Before this season, Kleber averaged 7.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game. This season, Kleber averages 4.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.7 blocks per game.

As you can see, Kleber's numbers are way down, and the eye test isn't doing him many favors either. Kleber hasn't been the same player since he tore his hamstring last season, and him battling a toe injury this season has not helped either.

Kleber earns his minutes for his ability to stretch the floor and play the small-ball five, but he has even struggled in these areas as well. Kleber's defense on the perimeter hasn't been good enough to warrant him getting minutes over Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford.

Kleber's month of March has been far from ideal, and he must find a way to make more of an impact before the playoffs. In the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Kleber was excellent on both ends of the floor, but it doesn't look like he will ever return to that form.

4. Rising: Oivier-Maxence Prosper

Although Dallas Mavericks rookie forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper hasn't been a piece in the rotation permanently yet this season, he has been great in the G League.

This season for the Texas Legends, Prosper is averaging 17.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from downtown. Prosper has developed tremendously in the G League, with the evolution of his 3-point shot being the biggest improvement.

Shooting above 40 percent from downtown is extremely difficult in the NBA, and Prosper doing that as a rookie is a huge step in his development, but the G League is different from the NBA. Prosper has to receive some minutes to prove that he can contribute at the NBA level, but that may not come this season.

The season only has 14 games remaining, and Jason Kidd likely won't add a rookie to the rotation as they try to solidify their rotation for the playoff push, but it should be noted that Prosper is getting better.

His versatility on defense is something that Dallas can use next season, and he could be Maxi Kleber's replacement one day as he continues to struggle.

Prosper likely won't play serious minutes in the NBA for the rest of the season, but his stock has risen tremendously since playing so well in the G League.

3. Falling: Tim Hardaway Jr.

Even after having a great game against the Oklahoma City Thunder last week, Tim Hardaway Jr.'s stock continues to fall.

This season for Dallas, Hardaway Jr. is averaging 15.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 40.9 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from downtown. While these stats may look great, Hardaway Jr.'s performance lately has been crippling for the team.

Hardaway Jr. has been passing the ball more at times during his struggles, but he continues shooting awful shots out of the flow of the offense. This has been Hardaway Jr.'s game for his entire career, but his struggles have been magnified over this recent stretch.

In the month of March, Hardaway Jr. is averaging 9.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 37.1 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from downtown. Hardaway Jr. has had some good games sprinkled in there, but he still can't get back into a consistent groove.

Mavs head coach Jason Kidd continues to stick with Hardaway Jr. through his struggles, and hopefully, that helps his confidence, but he must find a way to shoot better before the playoffs.

Hardaway Jr.'s shooting has been big for the Mavs in years past, and the Mavs are at their best when he is hitting his shots.

2. Rising: Derrick Jones Jr.

With Josh Green going down with an ankle injury, someone else on the Dallas Mavericks will need to step up in his absence. Green is averaging 8.5 points per game while shooting over 40 percent from downtown this season, and his energy is always great.

Someone who can step up is Derrick Jones Jr., and he is doing a great job of that lately. This season for the Mavs, Jones Jr. is averaging 8.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 49.5 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from three. Jones Jr. has been one of the best veteran minimum signings in the NBA, and he has been proving his value even more lately.

Jones Jr. started electric from downtown this season, came back down to earth, and now is shooting good again. In the month of March, Jones Jr. is shooting over 50 percent from downtown after shooting 23.5 percent from three in February.

This was a massive resurgence that hasn't been talked about enough, and he will be key for the Mavs down the stretch. In Sunday's game against Denver, Jones Jr. finished with nine points and eight rebounds while leading the Mavs in plus/minus with a +20.

Even when Jones Jr.'s shot isn't falling, he finds a way to put pressure on the rim and attacks closeouts.

1. Falling: Jaden Hardy

Even after playing one of his best stretches of the season about a month ago, Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy has not been a consistent piece of the rotation. This season for Dallas, Hardy is averaging 7.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 0.3 steals per game while shooting 36.4 percent from downtown.

Hardy looked good in Dallas' game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, as he finished with nine points and five assists, but then he only played for four minutes against the Denver Nuggets yesterday. Jason Kidd hasn't shown consistency with playing Hardy, and it seems like this may continue. In a recent presser, Kidd talked about Hardy playing great at the end of games, but there are still guys in front of him due to the depth of the team.

Even though it seems like Hardy could be doing all of the things that Tim Hardaway Jr. is doing and more, Kidd will likely keep playing Hardaway Jr.

Hardy's stock is falling due to his lack of minutes, not a lack of production on the floor. Hardy typically does his part once checking into the game, but his chance to play solid minutes is rare.

Dallas' next game is tomorrow night against the San Antonio Spurs.

For all the latest on Jaden Hardy and the Dallas Mavericks this season, stay tuned.