Olivier-Maxence Prosper’s sophomore year didn’t go bad, necessarily, but it didn’t go well, either. The [Dallas Mavericks](https://www.mavsmoneyball.com)’ season fell apart late in the year after the disastrous Luka Doncic trade and the Kyrie Irving injury. Usually that opens up opportunities for young players like Prosper to shine. Unfortunately, he didn’t exactly capitalize on the chance. By the time the season was a wash and playing time really opened up, Prosper had been ruled out for the year with a wrist injury.
Season in Review
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Prosper’s stats don’t jump off the page. He only scored 3.9 points per game, taking only 3.3 shots per game. That’s in limited minutes, of course. Prosper only played 52 games, averaging 11.2 minutes per game. He wasn’t able to hit the occasional 3-pointer, either, shooting 23 percent from deep on one attempt per game. Per 36 minutes, that’s only three attempts per game. One way he can get on the floor more often is being a reliable pressure relief valve on the perimeter. So far he hasn’t shown promise in that role.
The other way is doing dirty work—defense, rebounding, and facilitating the offense. Unfortunately, none of that really stood out this season. Prosper averaged 2.4 rebounds and less than an assist per game. He showed flashes of potential on defense, but never a sustained run of locking down opponents.
Make no mistake—Prosper didn’t look unplayable. But he’s a long way from being a contributor for a playoff contender, which (at least what we can intuit as of now) the Mavericks intend to be. Prosper has size and length to lean on, but he needs to make shots and become a defensive threat going forward.
Best Game
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The Mavericks January 27th game against the [Washington Wizards](https://www.bulletsforever.com) was Prosper’s shining moment of the season. He scored 20 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out an assist. Dallas won the game 130-108.
Contract Status
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Prosper has two years left on a four-year, $14 million rookie contract. The two remaining years are both team options. It’s likely the Mavericks will exercise their option the third year, as it’s only $3 million and change, and they need cost effective players.
Looking ahead
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Prosper is still young—sort of. He’ll be 23 years old at the start of next season, and on the third year of his contract. The Mavericks need to see something from him soon. And sometimes patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to first-round picks, but this isn’t a front office that has indicated they want to slow-build anything. Maybe that changes by netting the first overall pick this summer. But for the good of the Mavericks and his own career, Prosper needs to start showing a way he can contribute, or he’ll soon find himself out of the picture in Dallas.