4 Dallas Mavericks players who need more minutes, 3 who need less over final stretch

The Dallas Mavericks have been hot since the trade deadline, as they have won five of the seven games that Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington have played in with their most recent win coming against the Toronto Raptors.

Washington and Gafford have given the Mavs a massive boost on the boards and on defense, and Dallas is looking like a team that can contend to potentially win the NBA Finals this season. They have fixed their issue of being undersized, and the team is getting healthy at the perfect time.

While the Mavs' final rotation for the playoff push isn't finalized yet, there are some players who may need to be playing more, and some who need to be playing less.

4 Dallas Mavericks players who need more minutes, 3 who need less over final stretch

Dallas still needs to figure out the precise roles that they want from Gafford and Washington, and they seem to become more acclimated to playing for the Mavs every game.

Here are four Mavericks players who need more minutes during the final stretch of the season and four players who need fewer minutes.

7. Needs more minutes: Dereck Lively II

Dallas Mavericks rookie big man Dereck Lively II has become a crucial piece within the rotation this season, and he has quickly become a favorite lob target for Luka Doncic.

Lively II is an excellent rim protector and rebounder, and his energy is contagious. Despite all of this, Lively II hasn't been playing as much since returning from his broken nose. Lively II is averaging 17.5 minutes per game in February after playing 27.4 minutes per game in January.

A lot of this is due to matchups, but he must remain a key piece of the Mavs' rotation. Dallas is at their best when Lively II is flying across the floor, blocking shots, and catching lobs, and it's clear that he needs to be playing a bit more.

He moves his feet well enough to switch on the perimeter, and his length and athleticism allow him to recover when he gets beat.

6. Needs less minutes: Tim Hardaway Jr.

One of the Dallas Mavericks' weak links since the trade deadline has been Tim Hardaway Jr. even though he had a good bounce-back game against the Toronto Raptors last night.

Hardaway Jr. remains one of Dallas' best scorers and is in the running for the Sixth Man of the Year award, but he has struggled tremendously since the trade deadline. In the first six games that Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington played in, Hardaway Jr. averaged 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 33.9 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from downtown.

Hardaway Jr. has always been a streaky shooter, but he has been playing some of his worst basketball this season. He has been settling for more bad shots than usual, and the offense doesn't flow as well when he is on the floor.

Even though he is struggling, Hardaway Jr. is still playing heavy minutes. Hardaway Jr. played over 21 minutes in the first six games that Gafford and Washington played in. His minutes are down from where they were earlier in the season, but it still seems like he should be playing less.

Jason Kidd can't fully bench him, as he is excellent when he is hitting his shots, but the return of Dante Exum could reduce some of Hardaway Jr.'s minutes. Once Hardaway Jr. ends his slump, these minutes could quickly become warranted as the Mavs are at their best when Hardaway Jr. is hitting his shots.

5. Needs more minutes: Jaden Hardy

Jaden Hardy receiving more minutes goes hand in hand with Tim Hardaway Jr. receiving fewer minutes, and Hardy has proved time and time again that he deserves to be in the rotation.

This season for Dallas, Hardy is averaging 7.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 0.3 steals per game while shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from downtown. Hardy's rough start to the season is part of the reason that his scoring and efficiency numbers are down from last season, but his performance as of late has been excellent.

Hardy's growth as a playmaker has been clear, and this gives the Mavs offense a dimension that it doesn't have when Hardaway Jr. is on the floor. His reads and decision-making have been much better, and his ability to make skip passes and push the ball in transition is underrated.

Hardy looks much more comfortable as a playmaker, and he is letting the game come to him rather than having tunnel vision. Hardaway Jr.'s tunnel vision has been detrimental to the Mavs as of late, and Hardy's multi-dimensional offensive game has grown over the last few months.

Although both Hardaway Jr. and Hardy aren't elite defenders, it's clear that Hardy has the edge in this category. He also has a bigger wingspan and provides more versatility.

4. Needs less minutes: Maxi Kleber

Maxi Kleber has turned a poor start to the season into a solid season as he has become a crucial part of the rotation, but decreasing Kleber's minutes a bit may be in Dallas' best interest.

This season for the Mavs, Kleber is averaging 5.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from downtown. Kleber has taken a step forward on defense after struggling tremendously early in the season, and his toe has finally healed.

The last two seasons have been flooded with injuries for Kleber, and recovering from a torn hamstring isn't easy. He has put his hamstring and toe injury behind him, but Kleber playing heavy minutes means fewer minutes for the rest of Dallas' bigs. Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford are both players who this affects, and finding a better balance here would be ideal for the regular season.

Dallas' end-game lineup seems to include Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, P.J. Washington, and Kleber. Kleber's ability to play the small-ball five is beneficial, but his true position is still power forward.

Lively II or Gafford could be in Dallas' closing lineup if their matchup is going big, and this could be a way to take Kleber's minutes down.

3. Needs more minutes: Daniel Gafford

If the Dallas Mavericks decrease Maxi Kleber's minutes, Daniel Gafford is someone who could get more minutes. Gafford has been excellent since the Mavs acquired him from the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline. He has been a double-double machine when given the chance, but his minutes have been down as Kleber's have been up.

Gafford has played less than 20 minutes in three straight games and only played for seven minutes in Dallas' loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He remains one of the best rebounders and shot blockers for the Mavs, and they must find a way to keep him a key piece for the team on both ends of the floor.

Gafford did not play great against the Cavs, but he is too good to be playing less than 10 minutes a game. The energy of the team when he is on the floor is excellent, and his ability to anchor the defense is great.

Gafford can't stretch the floor or switch on defense as well as Kleber can, but when the opposing team goes big, Gafford or Dereck Lively II should be in the game. This will help Kleber's minutes to not get too high while maintaining an effective lineup. There were points in the Cavaliers game where they weren't going small, but Jason Kidd elected to have Kleber as the center over Lively II or Gafford.

2. Needs less minutes: Dante Exum

Dallas Mavericks veteran guard Dante Exum returned to the lineup last night against the Toronto Raptors, and having him healthy for the final stretch of the season will be crucial for this team.

This season for Dallas, Exum is averaging 9.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 0.6 steals per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 47.7 percent from 3-point range. He has had a massive bounce-back season for the Mavs and has become a key piece of the rotation.

If Exum can stay healthy, he will be a big part of what Dallas does down the stretch. Dallas lacks a backup point guard, and that's exactly what Exum can be if he remains on the floor. If not, his time in Dallas could be in jeopardy.

Injuries have plagued Exum's career, and that's why he needs to be playing fewer minutes for the rest of the season. There was a stretch where Exum was playing over 30 minutes every night, and Dallas can't do that again if they want to keep him healthy. They will likely keep his minutes under 20 to begin, and they should keep his minutes down to avoid injury.

Exum needs to be healthy for the entire playoff push, and keeping his minutes down will help him do that.

1. Needs more minutes: Olivier-Maxence Prosper

The Dallas Mavericks drafted Olivier-Maxence Prosper with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and it was a move that seemingly every Mavs fan loved. The Mavs had needed a wing with size for a long time, and Prosper was expected to have a big role early on.

Prosper struggled in the preseason, and he didn't have a role to start the year. He still doesn't have much of a role at this point in the season, but that should change. Prosper is coming off an amazing performance for the Texas Legends of the G League on Tuesday night as he finished with 26 points while shooting 4-5 from downtown, but he needs to display some of this efficiency and control at the NBA level.

Prosper lacks control when playing at the NBA level, and his 3-point jumper has not been great either. He plays with great energy, rebounding, and defense, but he has to be at least some of a threat at the NBA level. Prosper has had some good games for the Mavs like he did against the Houston Rockets, but he hasn't been able to have consistent minutes.

Prosper shouldn't play heavy minutes, but incorporating him slowly into the rotation could be beneficial for the Mavs heading into the playoffs. If Prosper can prove that he can be a great defender and somewhat of a reliable shooter, there could be a spot for him in the rotation.

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