Mavericks younger 'absolutely' expects bigger role despite loaded roster

The Dallas Mavericks might need more help from a young face during the preseason.

With the news of Luka Doncic suffering yet another calf injury, this is not just an opportunity to get guys preseason minutes, but this is also a chance for some guys to prove themselves to get some minutes once the regular season tips off.

We've seen games where young guys get some garbage time minutes, but one young buck is claiming confidence of more minutes in the 2024-25 season.

O-Max Prosper claims he'll 'absolutely' get more minutes

We've heard assistant coach Jared Dudley praise Prosper for his ability to guard opponents during the NBA Summer League. He might need to get into a rotational role sooner rather than later.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper was fairly confident about his role when the topic came up earlier in the week.

A lot of young guys deep in the rotation always want to get on the court. What gets guys like Prosper on the court is making tough plays for the team.

"For me, I guard, I rebound, I do all of those little things to help this team win and impact winning, that's what's going to get me on the floor," Prosper said.

Guys like Maxi Kleber get a lot of respect because he does a little bit of everything. Not a lot, but he just plays his role and makes those sacrifices like drawing charges. He challenges an opponent by going straight up on a drive inside. He makes shots when he gets a good look.

Making a sacrifice for your team as a young man will earn you plenty of respect in the locker room.

This might be a make-or-break season for Prosper. The Summer League was a chance for him to prove himself as the star, but he didn't quite live up to those expectations. The coaches still seem to have a soft spot for him though and believe in his development.

That's why he'll have to get his chance during preseason while his real team is out there with him.

Obviously, no one is looking at Doncic to play that much during the preseason, but he likely won't be playing at all for some time. The Mavs will still have plenty of options on the offensive end during preseason.

It's almost like someone in high school who has mediocre grades, if the student does well on their SATs, the grades don't matter as much. If Prosper can provide somewhat of a strong name for himself here in the preseason and just do his job, not for individual stats but for the team, the coaches will have him on their good side.

For more on Prosper and the Mavs, stay tuned.