Advertisement

Jason Kidd gives promising injury update on key Mavericks veteran

Noah Weber
Noah Weber

The Smoking Cuban

Dallas Mavericks, Jason Kidd / Joshua Gateley/GettyImages

In just over 24 hours, the Dallas Mavericks have the chance to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

The Mavs are coming off an impressive Game 5 victory in which they got a vintage Luka Doncic performance, and the role players surrounding Doncic have been phenomenal in this series.

Both Derrick Jones Jr. and P.J. Washington have been phenomenal in this series, and the Mavs have been able to step up with one of their key veteran forwards out of the lineup.

Jason Kidd gives promising update on Maxi Kleber's shoulder injury

Mavs forward Maxi Kleber went down with what was said to be a right shoulder sprain in Game 6 against the LA Clippers and missed the remainder of the game after shooting his free throws. The next day, it was reported that Kleber's injury was a full dislocation of the AC joint in his shoulder and that he'd miss "a significant period of time, if not the entire postseason."

This was a stab in the heart for Mavs fans considering how huge Kleber was on both ends of the floor against the Clippers, but Mavs head coach Jason Kidd instilled some hope in the hearts of Mavs fans after practice on Friday.

When asked about Kleber's injury, Kidd said "there is a possibility he can return" and that "It’s all progress. It’s all going in the right direction and I think that’s a positive for him, but also for his teammates and coaches to see him doing some basketball activity. We’ll see what that timeline looks like as we go forward."

During the open period of Mavs practice on Friday, Kleber was seen shooting free throws and doing some light shooting around the basket. It has been less than two weeks since Kleber went down with this shoulder injury, and him showing this progress is a great sign.

Kidd also said that Kleber was doing some defensive slides during practice, and Kleber returning at any point during the 2024 NBA Playoffs could be game-changing for the Mavs, especially if they find a way to make the NBA Finals.

Kleber has been a glue guy for this team all season long, and his ability to guard multiple positions and knock down open shots was huge against the Clippers. Kleber shot 55.6 percent from downtown against the Clippers, and his defense was outstanding.

Adding Kleber to a lineup that has been rolling, even after he got injured, could be the boost that this team needs to make the NBA Finals. This isn't to say that Dallas is incapable of making the NBA Finals without Kleber, but him returning at any point in these playoffs could be what the Mavs need to take their game to the next level.

For all the latest on Jason Kidd, Maxi Kleber, and the Dallas Mavericks throughout the rest of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, stay tuned.

Noah Weber

Noah Weber

Noah Weber is the Site Expert for The Smoking Cuban, covering the Dallas Mavericks as a credentialed media member since the 2022-23 season. With a Bachelor of Science in Sports Media from Oklahoma State University, Noah has worked in sports journalism since 2019. While he's covered the Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma State Cowboys, he has now established himself as a go-to voice for Mavericks coverage. Noah's expertise includes in-depth game analysis, social media content creation, and offering unique perspectives through his reporting. His work has been featured on major platforms such as ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Overtime. During his time at Oklahoma State, Noah won first place in the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association Awards for a show he co-produced. Outside of covering the Mavs, Noah enjoys working out, playing basketball and Spikeball, and spending quality time with friends and family.