On the night of February 1, the Los Angeles Lakers shook the NBA world after trading away Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic. The Dallas Mavericks also sent an injured Maxi Kleber to the Lakers as part of the trade.
Now, 88 days have passed since the Doncic trade, and Kleber is finally set to make his Lakers debut, arguably when the team needs him the most. Going down 3-1 to the Timberwolves in game four of the series, the Lakers can use any help they can get. According to senior NBA reporter Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers have cleared Maxi Kleber for availability as he recovers from surgery on his right foot.
The Lakers’ head coach JJ Redick spoke to the media about Maxi Kleber’s availability. “I can just tell you he’s available. He hasn’t had much practice time with us, but he’s been very diligent with his work in trying to get back in time to play in the playoffs,” he said.
What Happened To Maxi Kleber?
Maxi Kleber underwent surgery on January 30 due to a right foot fracture he suffered during Mavericks vs. Celtics on January 25. Two days after the surgery, Kleber was traded to LA as part of the Luka Doncic trade. The initial timeline for evaluation of his playing availability was eight weeks. Now, a month has passed since that reevaluation, and Kleber has finally been cleared to play.
Kleber played 34 games for the Mavericks this season, averaging 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. While he is only shooting 26.5% from beyond the arc this season, for his career, he has been a proficient 35.4% shooter from the 3-point range. Therefore, he may not be a volume contributor, but his numbers show that he can be an additional threat for the Lakers in the Timberwolves series.
While numbers may not show his true value to the team, his impact on the defensive end of the floor is very significant. The Mavericks had a defensive rating of 112.9 in the 34 games where Kleber played, whereas without him, they were at 119.7 in 48 games. His defensive impact may be a positive value addition to the Lakers in a time when his teammate Luka Doncic faces criticism over a lack of defensive effort.
Kleber may be matched up with the former Laker Julius Randle or Jaden McDaniels on the court. It is a tough task for any player in the league to guard Anthony Edwards; closing down all other avenues for offense may be the way to go for the Lakers. Hence, if Kleber can lock down either of these two players in the game, then the Lakers could have a fighting chance in this series.
After the Lakers went down 3-1 in this series, they are looking to take a step in the right direction and win the game at home in LA. Lakers will heavily rely on Luka Doncic and LeBron James to carry the offensive load in this game. Can LeBron James pull off another 3-1 comeback like he did against the Warriors with the Cavaliers in 2016? Will Kleber’s return have any major impact on the series? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
