3 studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' disappointing preseason loss to Timberwolves

2. Dud - Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Olivier-Maxence Prosper has reportedly had an excellent training camp and offseason for the Mavericks after turning heads out at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Prosper has the potential to fit the mold of the prototypical 3-and-D wing that can also add some tertiary elements of shot creation and driving to the rim to his game on a consistent basis if he continues to develop.

Jalen McDaniels of the Minnesota Timberwolves is a player who arguably has a very comparable, but more polished skillset than Prosper. McDaniels is one of Minnesota's budding young players, and Mavericks fans were able to see the impact he had on the game today as a starter.

Jason Kidd is known for throwing rookies into the fire during the preseason, so there wasn't too much surprise when Prosper and Lively II were announced as starters ahead of Dallas' first preseason game in Abu Dhabi, but it was abundantly clear that Prosper has a lot more to gain offensively before he's considered to be on the caliber of a player like McDaniels.

Prosper was highly touted for his defense coming into the NBA Draft in June, and while he did a good job at reading and reacting in one-on-one scenarios, the rookie had multiple instances where he got lost on defensive rotations today against Minnesota. He also looked like he lacked a bag offensively compared to Summer League, as he had trouble coming up with ways to create space to attack driving lanes.

Prosper was all over the place in his preseason debut and only finished with a single point, but it's too early not to write this off as him just getting the jitters out.