5 Dallas Mavericks players who have been disappointments to start season

The Dallas Mavericks have had a solid start to the season, and the team is sitting at 9-5 after Sunday night's loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Dallas is outperforming the expectations of many to start the season, and they are playing much better than they did at the end of last season. Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic are playing great, but the defense around them has not been great.

Dallas' defensive struggles from last season have quickly crept back into the team, and they must find a way to play better defense if they want to contend in the Western Conference.

5 Dallas Mavericks players who have been disappointments to start season

Dallas was finding a way to win clutch games at the beginning of the season, but they've let some games slip away as of late. The Mavericks have had some players step up tremendously, and others that have not played as well as they should.

Here are five Dallas Mavericks players that have been disappointments to start the season.

5. Richaun Holmes

When the Dallas Mavericks traded for Richaun Holmes on draft night, fans were ecstatic.

People thought that he could be in the hunt for the starting center spot once training camp rolled around and that he'd be a big contributor for the Mavs from the jump. After 14 games, it's clear that Holmes won't be a rotation player, and likely for good reason.

In five games played, Holmes is averaging 3.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while playing 6.0 minutes per game. Holmes is only used in garbage time, and him returning to the level of play that he exhibited during the 2020-21 season seems like a pipe dream.

He doesn't seem as nimble, and his ability to protect the rim has been minimized over the last few years.

Although fans likely had too big of expectations for Holmes when Dallas traded for him, he has been a disappointment compared to what people thought that he would be. He is a player that Dallas would likely move if they could, as he is owed almost $25 million over the next two seasons (assuming he opts into his player option after this season).

4. Seth Curry

When the Dallas Mavericks signed Seth Curry, seemingly the entire NBA world was raving about his fit in Dallas. Some people even labeled this signing as the most underrated move of the offseason.

Dallas signed Curry within a few hours of free agency starting, and he was expected to make a big impact on the Mavs. His shooting ability combined with Luka Doncic's elite ability to draw in the defense seemed like it would be a match made in heaven.

Curry had proven himself as one of the best shooters in the NBA throughout his entire career, and pairing that with two players who command all the attention of the defense seemed like it was going to be perfect for Curry.

So far this season, that has not been the case.

Curry is finally starting to play more over the last few games, but he is still averaging just 3.4 points per game on 10.1 minutes per game. Those numbers are rough, but his shooting numbers are even more of a shock. Curry is shooting 26.7 percent from downtown. For reference, Curry was shooting 43.5 percent from downtown before this season.

These numbers show that he has been a massive disappointment, and hopefully, some more playing time can lead to increased shooting efficiency. These numbers will likely climb before the season is over, but that starts with Curry improving.

3. Maxi Kleber

Injuries can completely hinder a player's development, and Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber has been a testament to that over the last two seasons.

Going into last season, Kleber looked as if he would be a key member of the Mavericks' core for years to come. His ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim were massive for Dallas during the 2022 NBA Playoffs, and some of his best games came during that playoff run.

Despite all of that success heading into last season, Kleber's season was cut down due to a torn hamstring. He ended up returning during the back half of the season, but he was never the same. He struggled once he returned to the lineup and didn't provide the same impact he once did.

Heading into this season, it seemed that the Mavs would finally get a fully healthy Kleber as he had a full offseason of recovery. Even Kleber said he was at 100 percent before the season, but he still never looked the same.

He doesn't make the same timely and efficient rotations as a help-side rim protector that he had in years past and his confidence on offense dwindled. To make matters worse, he injured his toe and is now out for multiple weeks.

Even though Kleber hasn't been on the court recently, his performance when on the floor has been a disappointment. He is averaging 3.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.2 blocks per game while shooting 33.3 percent from 3-point range. For reference, he averaged 0.8 blocks per game last season.

2. Josh Green

When the Dallas Mavericks extended Josh Green on a three-year deal, fans were ecstatic as it was only for $41 million.

After 14 games, Green has underperformed tremendously, and some are worried that the extension could have been a massive waste of money. Green is averaging 6.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.

Green's game still hasn't taken the fourth-year jump that everyone expected, and fans have every right to be a little worried about his development. He doesn't look confident with the ball in his hands, and his 3-point shooting has taken a dip. Green has also hesitated to let it fly even when wide open.

These are not great signs, especially considering the fact that Green needs confidence to excel, and he hasn't been able to contribute at the level that Dallas needs him to.

If Green doesn't step his game up he could be someone that ends up on the trading block, and at this point, it doesn't look like it would be too big of a loss. Derrick Jones Jr. has easily outplayed him and has been a better shooter and defender.

Green's potential is still there and his contract extension could still end up being a good move, but his performance to start the year has been less than ideal.

1. Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Olivier-Maxence Prosper is a rookie and hasn't been horrible when he's been on the floor, but he has been a bit of a disappointment considering what fans expected him to be.

The bar for Prosper was set extremely high heading into the season as rumors were flying that he'd be a crucial piece for Dallas, and he later was in the starting lineup to start the preseason but has lost that spot since.

When on the floor during the preseason, Prosper struggled. His offensive game lacked confidence and his shooting wasn't there. During the regular season, Prosper hasn't gotten to play many meaningful minutes yet but hasn't made much of an impact when on the floor.

He is averaging 2.2 points and 1.5 rebounds per game while shooting 16.7 percent from downtown. These numbers aren't great, but it also must be considered that Prosper has only been playing 5.7 minutes per game.

Prosper still has plenty of potential and could end up being a crucial rotation piece for Dallas later in the season, but he doesn't look ready just yet. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd sent him down to the G League earlier this season, and he showed some promise, but it may be a few months before he makes a big impact.

For all the latest on Olivier-Maxence Prosper and the Dallas Mavericks this season, stay tuned.