NBA: Kleber Interview: “Tanking is an open secret

Maxi Kleber has finished his first NBA season with the Dallas Mavericks and is already preparing for the second. SPOX spoke to the international about his summer, his conclusion of the season and the influence of his fellow player Dirk Nowitzki.

Kleber also revealed why he was looking forward to the national team and how Mark Cuban’s “tanking” statements were received within the team.

SPOX: Maxi, your season ended in mid-April – what has been your schedule since then? What have you been doing lately?

Maxi Kleber: I did a bit of everything – I was on vacation, spent time with family and friends, watched BBL playoff games on site and also did some training sessions. First it was all a bit calmer, but now I have intensified the training again.

SPOX: And now we’re going straight back to the USA, right?

Kleber: Exactly, I prepare myself there for the dates with the national team at the end of June. It’s a little easier for me there because I have a regular daily routine again and can concentrate completely on training.

SPOX: What are you working on?

Kleber: I’ve corrected my throwing movement, so I’m still working on internalizing it completely – that’s only possible with a lot of throws. I also try to optimize my agility a little so that switches are easier for me and I can simply play a little more versatile. Basically, however, I want to improve my game in all its facets.

SPOX: Are you following the playoffs closely or have you switched off for the moment?

Kleber: During my time in Europe, I didn’t see any live matches. I watched the BBL live, but I didn’t get up for games that night. I also lacked the energy because I was always on the road a lot during the day. But of course I always checked the results and highlights, so I’m in the picture.

SPOX: The conference finals are now in full swing – you have experienced the western teams several times. Who do you think will reach the finals?

Kleber: That’s still hard to say, as the games so far have shown. These are two teams so dominant that the form of the day will ultimately decide more than anything else. The Rockets have played this outstanding season, the Warriors may not have been as dominant as in previous years, but in the playoffs they show again what an outstanding team they are. I don’t want to commit myself – but I bet on the Rockets because of the home advantage.

SPOX: What did the Mavericks need to be in the postseason?

Kleber: To a certain extent, the season got off on the wrong foot for us. We lost two important home games right at the start, which we should have won, and we quickly got into a negative spiral. We lost an awful lot of games by a hair’s breadth or gave them up in the last few minutes – in the NBA it always means that you have to play for 48 minutes, and unfortunately we didn’t manage to do that often enough. That hurt us a lot, especially in the first few weeks. These close defeats were a mental sticking point from which one first had to recover. I think that you just have to be more solid from the beginning, so that you can develop a rhythm directly and not slip off in the first place. Then there would have been more in it for us.

SPOX: Did your first season otherwise meet your expectations? What is your personal conclusion?

Kleber: I actually travelled to Dallas with almost no expectations. I knew that our coach[Rick Carlisle, editor] is not a big fan of rookies and that it’s probably going to be hard to get game time, that I had to be patient. Accordingly, I was of course very satisfied that things went differently – unfortunately the start didn’t go well for the team, but I got many chances relatively early and made good use of them. For me personally, this was totally valuable – I was then allowed to start relatively many games directly. Overall, therefore, I can be satisfied, even if there are always things where you have to be bitchy or self-critical.

SPOX: The threesome?

Kleber: Exactly, it has to fall better, 31 percent quota is not enough. I have to be more constant. But otherwise, I think I can hold on: That was a good start for me.

SPOX: Your playing time varied quite a bit during the season, you started for a while, but then there were games again without or with only a few minutes. How did you handle it?

Kleber: It’s certainly not that simple. You prepare for it, but of course it’s no fun if you play little or nothing and don’t know when and if that will change. It’s nicer to have a routine and to know what the plan looks like in every game. But that was just part of it, I had expected it, and that’s why it wasn’t a problem.

SPOX: What does the exchange with the coaching staff look like in such a situation? Did you know the reason every time Rick Carlisle didn’t use you or used you very little?

Kleber: As a player you always knew a certain time before the game whether you would start or not. I just slipped into it at some point and then I was clearly communicated what was expected of me, that I would play defense in the big position and bring in my throw and my athleticism in front. At some point the coach came in training and said:’We are now changing the starting five again. Dwight Powell goes on five and Dirk moves on four.’ Then I was out again.

SPOX: Without explanation?

Kleber: I didn’t learn specific reasons, he just wanted to change the Starting Five a bit again. But he also told me that I had played a great season so far and that I shouldn’t worry. During the phase we had a lot of games and I slowly realized that I was getting a little physically tired. That’s why it was okay, as an athlete you have to be honest and recognize if you’re perhaps one step too slow. When I was out of the Starting Five, it was really like I didn’t know how much or when I was playing – that was exhausting, but it’s normal.

SPOX: How do you basically experience Carlisle as a communicator? Is he comparable to other coaches you’ve had in Europe?

Glue: Hard to say. I have never been a player who has been constantly looking for an exchange with the coach, I just try to implement what is required of me. But to Rick I can say that he is a very intelligent person, with a very high basketball IQ, who therefore also demands a lot. And that’s perfectly all right. If I did something wrong and he shames me for it, then I understand why and don’t have to ask again. (laughs) Also on the subject of playing times – that’s just up to the coach and as a player you ideally rely on him to make the right decisions.

SPOX: That’s exactly what a coach wants to hear. To what extent has it helped you that you have already gained a lot of professional experience in Europe? They were no longer a classic rookie like Dennis Smith, for example.

Adhesive: Certainly. The NBA is a completely different league from the BBL or the ACB – but it is still basketball and every experience prepares you for the next challenge. For me this means: You stick to what you can, you implement the systems and give everything in defense. This works in Europe, in the NBA and everywhere else. Dennis added some more changes because the systems at college are different, the shotclock has 30 seconds and he was only 19 years old. Nevertheless, he also got used to it very quickly. Of course, he also played a completely different role than I did – as point guard he should lead the team and find the open players, that’s a more complex job profile than with me as a roleplayer and you just have to learn that. I have other tasks than a star player like Harrison Barnes, who has to create litters for himself and other players.

Page 1: Maxi Kleber about his summer, Carlisle and his seasonal conclusion

Page 2: Maxi glue about tanking, the dunk about Randle, Tanking and Dirk Nowitzki