6 Dallas Mavericks players who need monster second halves to save their jobs

5. Olivier-Maxence Prosper

When the Dallas Mavericks drafted Olivier-Maxence Prosper with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft (via a trade with the Sacramento Kings), every fan couldn't wait to see him suit up for Dallas.

His outgoing and upbeat personality combined with his tenacious defense were two things that Mavs fans were excited about. He showed so much promise at Marquette and his performance in the Summer League led many fans and the media alike to believe that he would have a big role early on.

Prosper's performance slowed down against NBA competition in the preseason, and before we knew it, he was out of the rotation. He has spent time with the Texas Legends of the NBA G League this season, and his development may not be going as quickly as expected originally.

This doesn't mean that Prosper will never develop into a role player for Dallas, as he is only in his rookie season, but his play improving over the back half of this season is important.

The Mavs don't have time to wait on the development of players considering Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's timeline, and if Prosper doesn't show great improvement, he could be someone who becomes expendable for Dallas.

This isn't to say that he should be ready to play 20 minutes per night by the end of the season, but proving that Jason Kidd can count on him for defense and energy while playing in control will be important for him.