This was not exactly what Dallas Mavericks power forward Maxi Kleber had in mind when he entered this season.
To make sure he would be on top of his game when this season started, Kleber put in extra time working out last summer. The results: Kleber missed 35 games after he suffered a right hamstring tear during a practice session on Dec. 13.
Missing all those precious games, Kleber said, “was obviously very frustrating. Last summer I took a lot of time to especially prepare for the season and stay healthy, and obviously that (injury) was not something that I planned for.
“But it’s part of the game. You can’t control everything. I just did my best job in trying to rehab and come back as soon as possible.”
Kleber didn’t return to the lineup until the Mavs hosted the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 28. By then, the 6-10, 240-pounder was scrambling to knock off the rust, considering the season was a mere 71 days away from prematurely ending.
“It was frustrating, personally, this season being injured and then coming back from an injury,” Kleber said. “Because if you miss games within the season. . .it’s tough to come back and balance it and play well.”
Kleber underwent
surgery on his hamstring on Dec. 20. As the days were slowly passing by while he was sidelined, the 31-year old had this to say about where his mindset was during that period of his life.
“At the very beginning it went actually really well and I was excited because I was like, ‘Wow, I’m going to come back soon and it’s going to be fine,’ “ Kleber said. “But then, obviously there were some days when you have a little setback.
“But the most important part was that my coaches and my teammates were very supportive. They found the right words.”
And those “right words” were what kept Kleber uplifted and ready to spring into action once the Mavs’ medical staff cleared him to play.
“Some days when it wasn’t going well, they supported me still,” he said. “So, I think that’s something that I could rely on as a player.
“I was never really so concerned about myself. It was more having the right energy for my teammates and my coaches to get through that phase. But obviously it’s like in a normal season. Same as with an injury. You’re going to have your ups and downs, regardless.”
After advancing to the Western Conference Finals last year while getting only three wins away from qualifying for the NBA Finals, the Mavs experienced an up and down season this year. Not only were the Mavs sitting in the No. 4 spot out West at one point this season, but they eventually missed the playoffs and the play-in tournament altogether while finishing with a 38-44 record.
And by the time Kleber returned from his injury, the Mavs had acquired Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris from the Brooklyn Nets in a trade for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round pick, and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029.
Kleber was asked what happened to the Mavs’ defense that was such a pleasant source of energy last year, but broke down too often this season.
“Last year at some point we also had our ups and downs,” he said. “But at some point it kind of clicked and it was kind of like an
automatic thing where people knew where to go, where to be. We didn’t have that (this year).
“We also had a break with the trade (this year) where we had new players come in, which changed a little bit of everything — new roles, new identities. And we had to figure out who has to go where, and I think we just didn’t reach the same level as last year when it comes to connecting the dots on that (defensive) end. It’s something that takes time. It’s not easy, especially when you have new guys.”
Kleber wound by playing a career-low 37 games this season and averaged 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 25.1 minutes. The six-year veteran indicated he wouldn’t be surprised if the Mavs endure more changes this offseason.
“At the end of the day it’s still a business, so there will be business decisions made,” Kleber said. “That’s kind of like out of the control of a player, but obviously you just focus on what you can do.
“Obviously continuity helps. But after a season where you have a disappointing ending, obviously there’s going to be changes, so it’s just part of the game.”
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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