The Dallas Mavericks are currently on a four-game road trip, which recently saw them play the Toronto Raptors. Before heading to Toronto for the team's second night of a back-to-back, the Mavs lost in a cruel way to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Against Toronto, the Mavericks would win 136-125, and Luka Doncic would lead all players in the scoring column on his 25th birthday. Additionally, P.J. Washington finally got things going as he finished with 23 points on great shooting splits. The 25-year-old has struggled while playing for Dallas, but it seems he finally broke out against the Raptors.
Kyrie Irving would also prove to have a great game and continue to score the ball at an elite rate. While Irving has taken the co-star role in Dallas, he has also taken the role of becoming a mentor for one of the Mavericks' rookies.
Mavericks star Kyrie Irving's leadership could turn Dallas rookie into All-Star
Under Irving's leadership, Mavs rookie Olivier Maxence-Prosper has been able to pick Irving's brain and learn about what being a professional in the NBA means. In a recent interview with Libaan Osman of the Toronto Star, Irving spoke about what it means to be a mentor in the locker room for the younger guys.
"For me, I’ve been able to see 13 years in the league — 12 years officially — I feel like I’m in that position now to pour into the next generation. I have a lot of experience, I’m going to be brutally honest and I just want to see the younger generation do better than I did."Kyrie Irving
Since being drafted by the Mavs, Prosper has bounced back and forth between the G League and the NBA. In his time spent with the Texas Legends, Prosper has averaged 17.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
While his time in the NBA has been brief, Prosper mentioned how he wants to be a "sponge" for his rookie season. Alongside Doncic and Irving, there's a lot to learn being that they are some of the best players in the league.
"I’m not the only person that’s helping him. I just stepped in (at) the beginning of the season, really tapped into O-Max and knew he’s going to be a special player one day."Kyrie Irving
Irving clearly believes in Prosper's abilities, and with his help, he could turn him into an All-Star in this league. Irving has been nothing but a great teammate since coming to Dallas, and the sky is the limit for Prosper and this young team.
Against Toronto, Prosper only saw the floor in garbage time but had a career game with the Legends the night before. He scored a career-high 26 points before being called up once again.
For more updates on Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Kyrie Irving, and Dallas Mavericks basketball, stay plugged in.