3 studs, 2 duds in Mavericks’ season opener win against Spurs

2. Dud - Maxi Kleber

One of the players that some Dallas Maverick fans wanted to see get traded this offseason was Maxi Kleber as he struggled tremendously during the preseason.

After his performance against the Spurs, it seems to be more clear why fans hoped for this.

All Mavericks fans were in shock when the starting lineups were announced. Everyone had believed after starting all four preseason games, Dereck Lively II would start, but Jason Kidd pulled another trick out of his sleeve and ended up starting Maxi Kleber.

Overall, Kleber struggled for most of the game on both sides of the floor. His plus/minus was a team low of minus 12. Kleber had a mediocre 6 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 2-7 from the field, including an airball from the top of the key.

Kleber has sequences of providing good paint defense, but throughout the whole game, he was making consistent mistakes offensively and was committing soft and easy fouls for the opposing team on the defensive side of the floor.

Kleber, coming in at 6-foot-10 had to deal with some difficult tasks tonight of guarding Zach Collins and Victor Wembanyama. Clearly, he struggled and needs to work on certain aspects of his game.

He will continue to be a key piece to this team and be a part of the rotation, but before he is certified, he needs to improve his IQ on both ends of the floor this season.