Zach Lowe did not hold back on The Zach Lowe Show: “It doesn’t look like he wants to shoot threes, and half the point of Maxi Kleber at the five is shooting threes.” That is the issue for the Los Angeles Lakers in a nutshell.
Kleber was brought to Los Angeles to help space the floor and give the Lakers a reliable shooting option at the five spot. So far, he has not done that. Through the early part of the season, Kleber’s numbers have reflected his struggles.
Why minutes are hard to come by for Maxi Kleber
In under 12 minutes per game, he is averaging just 1.6 points and 1.9 rebounds on 40 percent shooting, while attempting a career low 0.9 3-pointers per game. In an offense that relies on spacing, that hesitation is hard to overlook, and could be a major reason why head coach JJ Redick has limited his minutes.
The Lakers do not have many alternatives for a shooting big man. Deandre Ayton is a strong interior presence and has been a pleasant surprise so far, but he is not a serious threat from deep. Jaxson Hayes can finish around the rim, but struggles at scoring anything that does not come from the paint.
Kleber should fill that gap, opening driving lanes and creating easier looks for teammates, but right now, he is not fully delivering on that promise. Part of the reason for hope is his connection with Luka Doncic. They go back to their days in Dallas, and Doncic has shown that he could trust Kleber to make the right plays.
Kleber has flashes of clutch ability, and his time with the Mavericks shows he can contribute. This was a guy who, at one point, was averaging 8.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, on 43.6 percent from beyond the arc in 25 minutes per game during their 2022 Conference Finals run.
Even during last season, the Lakers experimented with Kleber as a backup center during the postseason when he was just coming off a serious injury. Sadly, his expiring contract might make him more valuable as a trade asset than a rotation piece at this point.
Zach Lowe essentially said what everyone watching the Lakers sees. At the end of the day, a big man who will not shoot threes is a problem in today’s NBA.
Kleber has the skill set and the experience, but until he takes the shots and works on his offensive game, the Lakers simply can’t fully depend on him. Potential is there, but production matters. Right now, Kleber is falling short.