2024-25 Mavericks Player Cards: Olivier-Maxence Prosper

O-Max might be something, but what exactly is that?

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

Olivier-Maxence Prosper is the second player I'll cover in this series. The 21-year-old forward, acquired by the Mavericks in a 2023 draft day trade with the Sacramento Kings, has intrigued me and many fans since. Unlike Dereck Lively II, the more high-profile Mavericks' pickup in last year's draft, O-Max is a player I’ve struggled more to evaluate and get a feel for in terms of what he can develop into as an NBA prospect. With Lively, the athleticism, length, and defensive impact were evident in both his NCAA and first Summer League stats. For O-Max, a player touted for similar traits, this wasn't necessarily the case. And his first year among NBA pros didn't erase most of those doubts.

2023-24 key stats: 40 games played, 1 game started | 8.4 minutes, 3.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.1 blocks, 0.2 steals per game | 38.5 percent field goal.

Projected role in 2023-24: End of bench (roster slots 11 to 15), occasional fill-in backup power forward. See early August rotation analysis for more.

Archetype on offense:   Spot-up shooting wing (NBA role), slashing wing (G-League / Summer League archetype).

Archetype on defense: Wing defender, potentially a primary point-of-attack defender.

A stat that stands out: Prosper is a player who was supposed to fill a 3-and-D role, so let's start with the three, because it's a glass half full, glass half empty kind of thing. O-Max shot only 13 of 45, or 29 percent, from three-point range as a rookie. He didn’t look comfortable shooting the three, even though he was mostly left open in the limited minutes he got last season. If we add both his Summer League and last year’s preseason appearances to get a bigger sample, he is a combined 24 of 98, or 24 percent, as a Maverick from beyond the arc. He showed flashes with his drive and transition game (more on that soon), but if he wants more minutes and more opportunities with the ball, he’ll have to make catch-and-shoot, spot-up shots first. Now, Prosper did hit 54 of 137 shots, or 42 percent, from downtown in 25 games with the Texas Legends in the G-League, which is an encouraging sign that he can eventually convert on those looks with the big boys in the NBA.

A stat that makes me think: If you’ve read my D Magazine O-Max draft evaluation and some of my tweets about him since then, you know that when it comes to his steal and block numbers, the title of this section is no exaggeration. Prosper's low steal and block rates stood out over a relatively large sample of almost 2,000 minutes in college—an unusual signal for a player with his size, length and defensive reputation. Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley once called him 'a bigger Marcus Smart' with the build to be an All-Defensive Team player. While steal and block rates are not the sole indicators of defensive prowess, they do reflect athleticism, and it's rare to find an elite defender who is below average in these areas. Unfortunately, O-Max’s underwhelming performance in both categories has persisted, not only in his limited NBA minutes but also in larger Summer League and G-League samples.

Key play that intrigued (and I would like to see more of): 

I watched most of Prosper's recent Summer League film, and it was a mixed bag. He was often put in a role he won’t play in the NBA anytime soon—especially not with the Mavericks—with the ball in his hands, creating his own shot. His drive game and ability to get to the free-throw line is intriguing, but to earn those opportunities in real NBA games on a team with Dončić and Kyrie Irving, O-Max will first have to nail the basics: make the open shot, defend, hustle, and run the floor. The best showcase of the latter three was a game against the Houston Rockets last December, where he made several defense-to-offense hustle plays, highlighting his potential to be a good transition player.

Key question: Can he crack the rotation?

The Mavericks have a deep rotation with several players ahead of O-Max in the pecking order, so securing consistent playing time, barring multiple injuries, will be challenging. O-Max is a player who needs minutes to develop and determine his exact role in the NBA. I once tweeted that he’s something; I’m just not sure what that something is yet.

Can he become a great defender capable of locking down the best opposing players? Is he a solid 3-and-D player who can eventually do more than just hit open shots? Or is he a high-energy, change-of-pace player off the bench?

You’ve read my doubts about his potential as an elite defender based on the numbers. O-Max is not an elite or fluid athlete like, for example, Derrick Jones Jr. When you watch his film, there aren’t many standout defensive athletic plays that catch your eye the way they do with players like Jones or Lively. His body balance isn’t great, his movement can sometimes be awkward when changing speeds, and his jump on contests is often too slow. But there’s also a lot to like. He has almost ideal size and length for a NBA wing defender, good off-ball awareness, and good speed. Most importantly, what really stands out about O-Max is his relentless hustle and a motor that never stops. Perhaps he can become a very solid defender—one who can cover a lot of ground with his length, awareness, and lateral movements, and hold his own against stronger players—rather than an athletic disruptor who racks up deflections, steals, and blocks. Maybe a Jae Crowder-like: solid, but not an elite, all-defense defender.

What’s next (what to expect next season): To answer some of the above questions, we need to see O-Max get some playing time in various situations. I would love to see him tested as the primary defender against top opposing scorers. Aside from a few possessions against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, we haven't seen much of this in his rookie season—or even in the Summer League and G-League—due to the lack of that level of offensive talent there.

Overall, I think it will be challenging for O-Max to secure a spot in the rotation next season. His game is still too raw, his shot too inconsistent, and there are too many more proven options like P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, Maxi Kleber, and Dante Exum ahead of him. Exum and Josh Green are recent examples of players who, despite their improvements, still aren't the most confident or natural shooters, and who were challenged (or rather ignored) by NBA defenses in the playoffs. O-Max isn't there yet. First, he needs to prove that his improved G-League three-point shooting is real and start justifying his defensive reputation in the limited opportunities he’ll receive. The hustle, we know, will be there.