It’s Prosper’s finest performance of the summer.
At the 2024 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on Friday afternoon, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Boston Celtics 101-90. The Mavericks had lost their first three games of the summer against Utah, Memphis, and Miami. This was their first victory of the season.
Maxivier-Olivier Prosper scored 22 points on an effective 8 of 14 shooting, to lead all scorers in his best game of the summer. Prosper, the second-year forward selected with the 24th pick in the previous season, helped the Mavericks win with the help of AJ Lawson’s 21 points. Lawson had scored 20 points in his previous two games.
Dallas got out to a quick start and didn’t let up, leading 30-22 at the end of the opening quarter and preventing the Celtics from ever getting closer than one possession. While only making 4 of 12 three-pointers in the first half, the Mavericks made 16 of 29 (55.2 percent) two-pointers to increase their lead at the half. Prosper got out to a fast start, scoring 12 points in the first half on a mix of putbacks and mid-range jumpers.
Prosper and Lawson combined to go 4-of-5 from deep in the half as the Mavericks rallied from three points behind to seven of fifteen in the second half. With a double-digit advantage throughout the whole of the fourth quarter, the Mavericks easily advanced to the final buzzer.
The Mavericks will play one more game in Vegas, which is still to be confirmed, but they will not be making the Summer League playoffs.
As we previously stated, Prosper scored 22 points on 8 of 14 shots, including 2 of 6 from three, in likely his greatest performance of the summer. After Prosper had a terrible offensive performance in the previous three games, it was encouraging to watch.
Against the Celtics, Prosper relied largely on his perimeter game; six of his eight field goals were jumpers. He started the game with a great step-back two, then at the end of the shot clock, he made an incredible save by crossing over and making a disputed jumper. Although it’s unlikely that Prosper will ever be asked to make these kind of shots, that’s the purpose of Summer League, as we’ve already stated. It was encouraging to watch the Mavericks second-year attacker put the ball in the net time and time again.
Prosper recorded a steal and a block while rushing close to the hoop, demonstrating the strength of the defense as well. For whatever reason, he only got two rebounds in the end, but he had four assists. Prosper had a pleasant afternoon, much needed after the previous three dreadful ones.
Although the Mavericks haven’t decided on two-way contracts yet, Emanuel Miller may have received one based on his summertime play. Perhaps from another NBA franchise, if not from Dallas.
Although Miller’s stats (nine points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks) don’t immediately stand out, he once again performed a little bit of everything. Miller was a jack-of-all-trades on Wednesday against Miami, scoring close to the basket, draining threes, grabbing rebounds, playing solid defense, and dishing out some quality passes.
Although he isn’t the most exciting prospect, he appears to have a good all-around game for a four-year college player and to know what he’s doing when he’s on the court. Even though the Mavericks have been awful this summer, they have played far better when Miller is on the court.
Does that satisfy the Mavericks’ needs? Perhaps. Lawson performed admirably once more, although he’s in his fourth Summer League and has visited Dallas previously. If the Mavericks choose to go that route, there ought to be enough space for both Lawson and Miller, but Miller has been the most reliable Maverick in Vegas this summer.
For the second straight game, Jazian Gortman got off to a strong start, scoring 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting, including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. In addition, he contributed three turnovers, two steals, five assists, and seven rebounds.
With their recent Summer League squads (Jaden Hardy, Brandon Williams, Jordan “Jelly” Walker), Dallas has a history of fielding small scoring guards, which makes sense because Summer League is the ideal environment for these players. They are too small to play in the NBA, but they are excellent team managers who can try to stabilize an offense that can be sloppy and disjointed. Even though these players may not be explosive enough for the NBA, having a dribbler and shooter takes the pressure off of the other prospects. It makes sense that Lawson and Prosper have looked better because the Mavericks offense has improved dramatically over the past two games. In Summer League, proficient guard play makes a big difference.
Even if the Mavericks have an abundance of guards on their starting roster, it’s unlikely that Gortman will be able to stick around, it’s still entertaining to watch.