Maxi Kleber goes through full Dallas Mavericks practice: Hopeful to play vs. Raptors

The Dallas Mavericks have played the last four games without Maxi Kleber. He went up to block Reggie Jackson’s shot before suffering a hard fall and injuring his back on Nov. 15. Kleber attempted to come back into the game, but it did not last long. He was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the contest and has been unable to play since because of the injury.

Fans saw Kleber’s status improving ahead of Wednesday’s game in Boston. He did some work on the court on Monday and made the road trip. The team was confident Kleber would be able to play at some point over the three games, and he took another step towards that on Friday.

Kleber got in a full practice, and head coach Kidd said he hopes the 6’10 big man will be able to play on Saturday against the Toronto Raptors. The Mavs upgraded Kleber to probable on their official injury report. It is the second meeting of the season between the two sides, and here is a look at how Kleber will fit back into the rotation when he is cleared to play.

Maxi Kleber goes through full practice: Hopeful to play in Dallas Mavericks vs. Raptors

Kleber will continue to come off the bench, but he remains head coach Jason Kidd’s trusted big man in late-game situations. The 6’10 big man can guard in the paint and on the perimeter while being able to space the floor on offense. He is a unique option that is capable of knocking down key shots.

Davis Bertans and JaVale McGee or Dwight Powell will likely exit the nightly rotation when Kleber returns. Head coach Jason Kidd wants to give Christian Wood more minutes, and Kleber was the team’s preferred closing five during their run to the conference finals. Expect Maxi to continue to play around 25 minutes per game, and his 3-point shooting will skyrocket soon enough.

Maxi Kleber is on his way back after missing four games. The Dallas Mavericks have a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, so do not be surprised to see Kleber sit one of those games. There will be no easy victories, and the Mavs need the 6’10 big man back, so stay tuned for updates on his status.