The Dallas Mavericks’ seemingly never-ending stretch of bad luck when it comes to injuries continued on Saturday afternoon, as Maxi Kleber went down with a foot fracture.
Dallas was already without several players in this game against the Boston Celtics, including Naji Marshall, Luka Doncic, Dante Exum, Dwight Powell, and Dereck Lively II, and Kleber going down in that game caused an undeniable “hole” that had to be fixed quickly. Jason Kidd said he has “never seen anything like it’ when it comes to Dallas’ injury luck, and talked about how there is a major “hole” at that spot that isn’t “gonna get any better, so, we’ll see.”
The Mavericks have a game tomorrow against the Washington Wizards, and after Kleber went down on Saturday, it didn’t take the team long to find a new big to hold down the paint until Powell, Lively II, and Kleber return to the hardwood.
Dallas Mavericks sign Kylor Kelley to two-way deal
The Mavs announced that they signed 7-foot center Kylor Kelley to a two-way contract while waiving Jazian Gortman on Sunday evening, and now we know who will be playing behind Daniel Gafford moving forward. Kelley spent time with the South Bay Lakers of the G League this season and averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. He also played for the Los Angeles Lakers during training camp and preseason of this year.
Kelley looks to be the perfect candidate to play center for the Mavericks moving forward, and his skill set will not be much of an adjustment for Dallas’ role players to get used to. He is a good lob catcher, a stellar rim protector, and a good athlete, and those are all things that have helped Gafford and Lively II be so successful in the Mavs’ system.
Dallas’ center spot has been a major strength over the last year with both Gafford and Lively II playing at an elite level, but due to Lively II and Kleber’s recent injuries happening way too often, it was clear that they needed to bring someone else in. Some Mavericks fans begged for the team to sign Jamarion Sharp to fill this hole, and while Kelley doesn’t have the same 7-foot-5 frame that Sharp does, it’s still a major plus that he is a 7-footer.
Kelley will immediately become the second-tallest player on the team behind Lively II, and his immense size will help the Mavericks right away. He will be able to plug right in when it comes to the way that Dallas plays on both ends of the floor, and a new body in the center room should help ignite some much-needed energy into the lineup.
Mavericks fans could have their first chance at seeing Kelley in action on Monday evening against the Wizards, and he’ll have a great mentor to learn behind over the next few weeks in Gafford. Gafford has been playing some of the best basketball of his career recently, and now Dallas has some size and athleticism to play behind him.
Gafford’s energy has been at an all-time high recently, and him not having to shoulder as big of a load should help him continue to bring this type of energy. Kelley could end up having a major role right away considering that he and Gafford are the only two healthy bigs on the roster, and he could turn into a household name in this league if he takes full advantage of this golden opportunity.
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