Maxi Kleber is averaging 6.2 ppg and 3.5 rpg for Dallas this season.
The Dallas Mavericks’ frontcourt has thinned a bit. Per the team, forward Maxi Kleber will be out indefinitely with a torn right hamstring, an injury he suffered during practice on Dec. 13. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports Kleber is expected to miss six to eight weeks with the injury.
The team has not released a return date but stated that Kleber underwent surgery and will begin rehabilitation immediately.
The Dallas Mavericks announced today that forward Maxi Kleber underwent surgery to address a right hamstring tear.
Kleber will begin rehabilitation immediately and there is no timetable for his return at this point. pic.twitter.com/8cVbw4wFQz
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) December 20, 2022
A consistent rotation player and solid defender for the Mavs this season, Kleber had been averaging 6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game in 25.6 minutes per game. He is shooting a career-best 49% overall and 36.9% on 3-pointers in 22 games this season, all off the bench. Kleber signed a $33 million, three-year extension in September.
His absence opens up more minutes for fellow reserve Christian Wood, who is the team’s sixth man and ranks fourth on the team this season in total fourth-quarter minutes played. Kleber was often in the mix at the end of games, ranking sixth on the team in total fourth-quarter minutes played.
Assuming Kleber is out for the projected timeframe, the Mavs play roughly 20 games without him and have two lengthy road trips (Dec. 17-23 and Jan. 8-15) which they’d have to endure with a thinned frontcourt.
Dallas (15-16) is 10th in the Western Conference.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
