Dallas Mavericks Summer League Awards: MVP, Best Rookie, and more

One of the most exciting parts of the NBA offseason has come and gone. The NBA 2k24 Summer League concluded on July 17, with the Cleveland Cavaliers taking home the Summer League crown.

As for the Dallas Mavericks, they ended Summer League on a high note. After losing their opening matchup against a well-rounded Thunder squad, they rattled off four consecutive victories.

This summer was full of positives. Dallas fielded a much better roster this time around. Last season, the Mavs lost every game in Summer League. They finished 0-5 and had the worst point differential (-10.2) amongst all 30 teams. Dallas finished second in point differential this season at a positive 8.2, only behind the Summer League champ Cavaliers.

Dallas Mavericks Summer League Awards: MVP, Best Rookie, and more

The turnaround is in part to a very solid 2023 draft class. Dereck Lively II and Oliver-Maxence "O-Max" Prosper proved to be worthwhile additions. Also, the Mavs' undrafted free agents showed out in the best way possible.

Lively II averaged 8.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 68.0% from the field. His two-way versatility was on full display throughout Summer League as well.

O-Max proved to be a menace on both ends of the court. He finished with averages of 12.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. He also affected the game on defense in a myriad of ways.

Hats off to undrafted free agents Mike Miles Jr. and Jordan "Jelly" Walker. Both guards brought their A-Games this summer. Miles Jr. provided a steady scoring output and managed the offense well by making sound decisions and taking care of the ball. He didn't start the first two games but was inserted into the starting five for McKinley Wright IV after some stellar play in limited action off the bench.

As for Walker, he only appeared in four out of the five contests, but he made the most of his opportunity. Walker averaged 13.0 points and 3.5 assists per game while also contributing 3.3 three-pointers per game in only 15.7 minutes of action. Ending the exhibition slate on a high note, Walker made 10-of-19 three-pointers in the final two contests.

All in all, it was a successful summer for the Mavs. The future looks bright and Mavs fans can be assured that the roster has some serious young talent.

Let's take a look at which Mavericks performed the best this summer. I'll be giving out awards out for Best Rookie, Best Rookie Undrafted Free Agent, Best Veteran, and Summer League MVP.

Best Mavericks Summer League Rookie - Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Arguably the toughest award to hand out, the best rookie performance goes to Olivier-Maxence Prosper. He slightly narrows out Mike Miles Jr. and Dereck Lively II for this award. Spoiler alert: Look out for a Miles Jr. appearance later in the article.

O-Max proved to be a solid contributor even when his shot wasn't falling. Prosper averaged 12.6 points per game but did so on 44.0% shooting from the field and 23.5% from three. Although O-Max didn't light it up from the field, he did make 4.6 free throws per game on an 82.1% shooting clip.

Prosper's athleticism was on full display during the course of Summer League. He showed a penchant for transition dunks and well-timed drives to the basket.

The Marquette product looked his best when driving to the rim. No matter the situation, transition, or in the half-court, Prosper was able to get by his defender with either a quick first step or blow-by-dribble to score in the paint.

Even though Prosper's jump shot wasn't falling as often as he and the Mavs would have liked, especially from behind the arc, he looked confident and showed a smooth release on his catch-and-shoot opportunities.

The counting stats may not show up for Prosper on defense, as evidenced by averages of only 0.8 steals and 0.2 blocks per game, but his impact was surely felt. Whether it be deflections, defending the best opposing forward, or skying for defensive rebounds, Prosper's presence on the defense end was noticed by coaches, players, and fans alike.

Honorable Mentions: Mike Miles Jr., Dereck Lively II

Best Mavericks Summer League Rookie, Undrafted Free Agent - Mike Miles Jr.

As I had mentioned on the previous slide, Mike Miles Jr. would eventually make an appearance. The former TCU standout signed a two-way contract with the Mavs immediately after the conclusion of last month's draft and looked to solidify his roster spot with a strong Summer League outing.

Throughout Summer League action, Miles Jr. proved he was worthy of a two-way spot on the Dallas roster. Miles Jr. averaged 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in only 18.8 minutes per game.

Miles Jr. came off the bench for the first two contests, backing up the veteran McKinley Wright IV. While Wright IV struggled, the younger Miles Jr. looked poised. He overtook Wright IV in the starting lineup and upped his averages to 14.7 points and 4.7 assists per game as a starter.

Despite Miles Jr.'s lack of size and length, he shot 50.0% from the floor. Although Miles Jr. shot 26.7% from behind the arc, his shooting upside resembled Prosper's. He oozed confidence, and his jump shot looked consistent with a solid base and a quick release.

Also like Prosper, Miles Jr. showed the most comfort on his drives to the rim. The former Horned Frog did his damage by shaking his defender off the dribble and scoring through traffic. Rather than forcing ill-advised attempts, Miles Jr. would look to find a spot-up shooter or throw lobs to bigs when his driving lane was closed off.

Unlike when he played for TCU, Miles Jr. looked like a plus facilitator. In college, Miles Jr. looked to score, first and foremost. Playing for the Mavs, he continuously made the right read in the half-court. Miles Jr. never looked rattled and didn't try and force the action.

Finally, shout out Jordan Walker, the other undrafted guard who signed a contract with Dallas after the draft. He looked like the most confident player on the court and his three-ball looked as advertised.

Honorable Mention: Jordan Walker

Best Mavericks Summer League Veteran - A.J. Lawson

Coming into Summer League, Jaden Hardy was most likely to take home this award. However, Hardy had an uneven Summer League and was shut down after three games. Hardy averaged 23.0 points per game but did so on 35.0% shooting from the floor and 24.1% shooting from distance.

Move over Hardy, A.J. Lawson proved to be the best veteran on the roster. Lawson played in and started every game, averaging 26.0 minutes per game. He finished the five-game exhibition with subtle averages of 12.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 2.4 steals per game.

Lawson demonstrated shot-making ability, excellent athleticism, and great defensive instincts. His open-court athleticism was apparent. He was continuously making plays on defense which led to numerous fast-break opportunities.

Before moving on to the next slide, I would feel it as a slight not to mention Taze Moore. Moore played for the Texas Legends this past season and contributed in a multitude of ways for the Mavs G-League affiliate.

In Summer League, he continued to perform well on both ends of the floor. Moore had quite possibly the best highlight of the summer, as he threw down an emphatic put-back slam. Moore was easily a Summer League fan favorite.

Honorable Mention: Jaden Hardy

Mavericks Summer League MVP - A.J. Lawson

The biggest surprise on the list, before, and even after Summer League, is A.J. Lawson being the best overall player on the court. Prior to Summer League beginning, I anointed Jaden Hardy as the Mavs Summer League MVP.

However, I expected Hardy to shoot around 50% from the field and 40% from three while proving to be a more than viable playmaker. Hardy fell short of these expectations, shooting less than 36% from the floor and less than 25% from three.

Although Hardy was the go-to guy on offense, he didn't put up efficient numbers this summer. It would have been nice to see Hardy average five or more assists per game due to his shot not falling consistently.

Again, before Hardy steals the spotlight, the MVP is given to Lawson, as he exceeded expectations, arguably more so than other Mavericks (sans Jordan Walker).

Other Mavs, including rookies Lively II, Prosper, Miles Jr., and Walker were deserving of this spot, but I ultimately decided it was Lawson who was worthy of the Mavs' best player this summer due to his consistency, statistical output, and a bevy of highlight plays.

Lawson played with composure and exhibited an all-around game. Rather than being "just another guy," which some veterans may succumb to, Lawson made numerous highlight plays and proved to be a good and efficient scorer.

Lawson's best game was his 24-point performance, where he shot 10-for-12 from the floor against the Indiana Pacers. Lawson finished the game with a +20 plus/minus.

Summer League Coach Jared Dudley lauded Lawson's ability after the Pacers game. He compared the former Gamecock to former Maverick and 13-year NBA veteran Corey Brewer.

Although the comparison might not impose the utmost confidence in Lawson as an above-average contributor on the Mavs roster, it's important to keep in mind that Lawson is an undrafted free agent who has bounced around the G-League in recent years.

Furthermore, Lawson displayed his defensive prowess by recording multiple steals in four out of the five games played. His best performance came against the Hawks, where he recorded four steals.

Lawson is still under contract for the 2023-24 season, as he is one of the Mavs' two-way players. It will be an intriguing storyline during the upcoming season to see if Lawson will earn some regular season minutes from his outstanding summer league play.

Honorable Mention: Jaden Hardy