Lakers Maxi Kleber IN THE LAB Putting in Work! | Maxi Kleber Role Outlook + Expectations for 25-26!

Lakers Maxi Kleber IN THE LAB Putting in Work! | Maxi Kleber Role Outlook + Expectations for 25-26!

[Music] You know, we’ve talked a lot about Luca Donuch and the work that he’s put in throughout the summer. Not only to his body, but simply his commitment and trying to become a better leader throughout the summer, too. Which, according to his Serbian teammates that he’s playing with during the Euro Basket competition, he’s made some dramatic strides in doing. But not only for himself, but his longtime teammate Maxi Gibba, too. a guy that’s coming off an injury-prone and actually a few injuryprone seasons in a row now. Not hitting the 50game mark since the 202122 NBA season and he’s definitely looking to prove that he can get back to being a reliable option, a rotation option, and can be a viable option for the Lakers next season. Unfortunately, he didn’t play a single regular season game for their team. Wasn’t able to make it back in time. And although he did spend 5 minutes on the court in the playoffs of their team, playing 5 minutes in their game five defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves in round one, he hasn’t played during the regular season and therefore fans did not see much if very little of him at all. And while he’s looking to prove that he can be an option for their team next season, like I said too, if you kept up with him on social media or simply about the post maybe on NBA Twitter, you’ve seen that Maxi Kaiba has been putting in a lot of work both on the court and off the court in the gym. definitely moving some weights around and looking pretty good himself and even posting a video the other day of him windmill dunking. Something that’s not usually associated with Maxi Cleba being a great high-flying athlete, but he appears to be in some pretty damn good shape right now, too. So, with that in mind here, if we’re finally going to get a healthy version of Maxi Kibba again, could he or will he be in the Lakers rotation? And what might he be able to offer the rotation and simply their team in general? We’re going to talk about that. Doing a bit more of a deep dive on Max Diva and not only talking about what he was for the Dallas Mavericks and what he might be able to get back to, but what his role could be on this specific team, how his skill set could factor into their rotation and what they don’t really have filled quite yet or what their current players ahead of him or simply around him don’t have to offer that he might be able to offer and simply about the player that he could be for their team this season and maybe why it’s not a great idea to trade him. But without further ado here and talking about Maxiba, we’re talking about a 33-year-old going on 34. A guy again that’s had a few injury plague seasons in a row now dating back to the 2022 23 NBA season. Has yet to play more than 45 games in a single season. only playing 34 during the 2425 NBA season, only playing 43 during the 23-24 NBA season, and only playing 37 during the 22 23 NBA season, combining for a grand total of less than 120 games, and that’s obviously not too good and obviously has made him a very reliable option for a team. I mean, the best ability can often be durability, staying on the court and giving your team an option for every game in every matchup, whether they need you or not, or you know, you’re the best option for that matchup. Simply being able to be healthy and on the court and giving your team your rotation option is the best ability for a role player, which unfortunately KBA has been too great at lately. So, for my expectation with him and in regard to health next season, I think the guy’s got to play at least 50 games. If he’s hurt by the trade deadline, then it might be time to cut bait and simply use him as an expiring contract. You know, at that point, if he can’t get right and doesn’t show major health and durability improvement, then it probably is time to view him that way. However, if he is able to be a bit more healthy, only dealing with minor injuries that pretty much every player deals with throughout the long 82 game regular season, then you can definitely make an argument to keep him. And especially if he shows some good production for their team, too. After all, there is a viable pathway for playing time for him, at least in my opinion. Obviously having DeAndre as their starting center, obviously having Jackson Tes as their direct backup and definitely a full-time center behind him, but with Kiba being able to play at both the five and four in some matchups, and that’s kind of the best ability with him in my opinion. The fact they can interchange between them depending on the matchup against a smaller team like Golden State for example, a very good center option, a Kai that’s actually pretty big in that matchup. and even in general is a pretty big hybrid 45. Being roughly a 6’10, 240 to 250 lb. Not to mention being a pretty decent athlete for a hybrid 45. You know, in that kind of matchup, he definitely can be a viable center option. In fact, probably a better one than even Jackson Hayes. Not only with the defensive ability, both being fairly switchable on defense. And that’s obviously very helpful against a small ball team that obviously like Golden State likes to run around a bunch, use a bunch of pin down screens to lose defenders and make you switch on the court. Clea having that ability is very valuable in that kind of matchup. Or then against a bigger team with a double big lineup, a team like Cleveland, Minnesota, somebody like that for example, that’s when Clea can play a more power forward. And at that point, he’s not a liability at power forward. In fact, he’s probably even quicker and more athletic at the four than his opposition, you know. No, obviously not in every matchup. Not more athletic than in Evan Mobley, for example. But I think you kind of get what I’m saying here. The fact that he can play at the four or five depending on their matchup, might be more valuable at the four in some matchups, might be more valuable at the five in other matchups. That’s what KBA has to offer in the versatility that he can offer your rotation. So, that’s something that they don’t really have outside of Cleba. They’ve kind of used a guy like Rui Hajimura in that role, but isn’t exactly the perfect fit for it. A bit too small to play at the five in some matchups and even in smaller matchups. Clea on the other hand’s a bit bigger than Hachimura. Isn’t obviously as good as Hachimura. Not as productive offensively, maybe a little bit better defensively or at least was at one point, but that’s kind of the better fit that Cleb offers that they didn’t really have prior to having Cleba or rather having him healthy. I mean, it’s not something that any of their current centers can offer, not something that DeAndre Aton can offer, that Jackson Hayes can offer or Christian Koko. They can’t play at the four or five depending on the matchup and kind of interchange between them. So, that’s kind of the primary value with Maxi KBA, what they’re likely hoping to get and what I’m definitely hoping that he can offer their team. That’s kind of the thing I’d point to with him. And then if KBA would combine that with better durability, again staying on the core of their team and playing 50 plus regular season games for their team, then that could definitely lead to him becoming an everyame rotation player for them and maybe even stealing minutes away from a guy like Jackson Hayes, you know, at that point. And if he becomes the better option for every matchup again with that versatility that he offers playing the four in some matchups, five in other matchups, then Reic might look to choose him in the rotation first over a guy like Jackson Hayes. You know, I definitely think that’ll be more difficult for him to do than some other people might think. I actually think that Hayes was pretty decent for their team and won’t easily be replaced within the rotation. Yes, there’ll be matchups where KBA is obviously the better option, but in regard to actually taking away permanent minutes from him, becoming the more useful or more turn to option in the rotation, I think that’ll be fairly difficult for Kiba to do. Not only in regard to durability, but even simply productivity as well. You know, Hayes actually was pretty decent for their team, especially post straight deadline. And if there’s kind of a battle between them, then it definitely won’t be an easy one for Maxi Kiba. They’re very different players after all. They might even be able to share the court in some matchups. I mean, that will obviously depend on DeAndre Aton and if he’s playing well or not playing well. That will definitely affect that between them as well and all the mans that come behind Aton. But I guess it could theoretically be a possibility. I think there still will be a minutes battle between them. More so, I guess between the matchups that they don’t need KBA at the four, then it’ll be more of an opposition battle between KBA and Hayes for backup center minutes. But, you know, I think Kleba does have a pathway to playing time, though. It might not be as easy as some think and for Cleba to get to that point and actually do that within the rotation meaning taking away playing time from Jackson Hayes and maybe even DeAndre Aton ahead of him then he’s got to be able to offer what those two offer on the court do it better in some ways and then offer what they can’t on the court do in regard to what they do offer that would be the rebounding and defense do that or maybe even offer more than what they can offer at least one of them while at the same time offering what they can’t that being the three-point shooting ability ability, I guess, kind of switchability on defense, even though those two offer a little bit of it. Doing both of that together, and that’s something that they can’t offer. The combination of floor spacing ability on offense and the versatility on defense, that’s kind of the pathway to playing time and getting more minutes in those two in the rotation for maxing people in my opinion. After all, we are talking about a 35.4% 4% career three-point shooter, which might not immediately stand out or sound that great to you, but we are talking about a hybrid 45. So, that’s actually pretty good. Not only that, but taking 3.1 of them per game in 22 minutes per game. Translating that to per 36 minutes, taking 5.1 of them per game. And then during the postseason, Max becomes even better. Not only in regard to three-point shooting, but that’s definitely the main part of it, becoming a near 39% career three-point shooter. definitely more of a playoff riser and that’s pretty hard to find as a role player especially for a hybrid 45 kind of role player. That’s something to point to with him than the defense and once again turning the playoffs becoming even better on defense and all around improving his game. That’s something that Maxi Kleba can offer that maybe those two can’t. Meaning DeAndre Aton and Jackson Hayes. Not only the skill set, but then the playoff background compared to Jackson Hayes. KBA is that over him. The versatility offensively compared to DeAndre Aton. That’s something that KBA can offer that again those two simply can’t or at least not this current moment. However, do keep in mind that we are talking about a bunch of ifs here with Maxi Kibba. not only about the if of him getting back to that production level and putting up those numbers again, but talking about the past with him and talking about a guy that’s 33 going on 34, a guy that’s coming off three injury prone seasons in a row and that’s typically the age that role players began to decline at and especially talking about bigger players like Maxi Kibba. That won’t be easy for him to accomplish or easy for him to overcome. Again, absolutely love the work that he’s putting in. obviously very committed to his diet and overall workouts right now, trying to get back to the level that he once was at and trying to prove to himself that he can as well, but there are definitely some major hurdles that he does have to cross here in if he wants to become a major part of the Lakers rotation and to be viewed more as a rotation asset rather than a trade asset for their team going forward, which is something that he currently is teetering between right now in my opinion. So, with all of that being said here, what do you guys think? What are your expectations for Maxi Kibba this season? What are you hoping to get out of him? And do you think that he will become more of a rotation asset for their team or eventually will become a trade asset for their team? Let me know your thoughts in the comments down below. But I think that’ll pretty much do it for this one. And if you enjoyed the video, then I’ll greatly appreciate it if you dropped a like, subscribe to the channel if you have not already, and hit that notification bell to never miss out when I upload a video. But as always, thank you for watching and have a great day or night. [Music] [Music]

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