Tag: Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Meet Mavericks rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who says he is ‘somebody that is electric’

We spoke to Meet Marquette forward and NBA draft prospect Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published prior to the NBA Draft and has been updated.

Marquette junior wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper, also known as O-Max, is an intriguing NBA draft prospect originally from Montreal.

Prosper, who measured just short of 6-foot-7 in socks with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, was one of the biggest standouts at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. We have Prosper as a projected top-20 pick in our latest 2023 NBA Mock Draft.

When he meets with NBA teams during the pre-draft process, he told For The Win during a recent video interview that there is one thing that he wants to make clear.

“I want them to know that I’m going to leave everything on the floor to win. I’m a competitor. I’m a hard worker,” explained Prosper, who played a crucial role in leading Marquette to win its first-ever Big East Conference title.

Prosper, who attended the NBA Academy and speaks four languages, knows what he wants to see come next in his journey.

“I feel like my body is ready. I feel like my basketball skills are ready,” Prosper said. “I feel like I’m in the best position to go out there and do my thing.”

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

RELATED: Why NBA teams looking for the next OG Anunoby should consider drafting Olivier-Maxence Prosper

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Olivier-Maxence Prosper takes a lot of pride in guarding multiple positions

Prosper emerged as a versatile defender at Marquette and is looking to showcase that ability at the next level.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper emerged as a versatile defender at Marquette and is now viewed as a first-round prospect in the NBA draft this year, largely because of that ability.

Prosper, who was born in Canada, averaged 12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and nearly one steal on 51.2% shooting from the field in 36 games this past season. He recorded four 20-point games, including a career-high 31 points on Nov. 17 in a win over LIU.

The 6-foot-8 forward brings substantial versatility with him to the next level and seems to be a good fit with virtually any team. He boasts a 7-foot, 1-inch wingspan and has tremendous athleticism after dazzling at the draft combine last month.

He explained what he is looking to showcase to teams.

“I just want to show that I can come to a team and bring a spark, especially defensively,” Prosper said Tuesday after working out with the Indiana Pacers. “Help teams defensively with my ability to guard multiple positions and, on offense, just be another wing that can shoot, play in transition and rebound. A guy that brings a lot of energy on the floor that brings the team up.”

Prosper played one season at Clemson as a freshman and then spent the past two years at Marquette. He was able to showcase his versatility more in their system and that resulted in a productive run with the Golden Eagles on both ends of the court.

The 20-year-old recently described his game as electric on the court. He relished the opportunity to impact games on the defensive end and is looking to bring that ability with him to the next level

We switched 1-5 and for a guy like me, I take a lot of pride in switching, especially onto smaller guards and chasing smaller guards off screens. I enjoy that stuff. It pumps me up to guard people. It is very valuable, especially in this league that is becoming positionless. You want to have a guy who can guard multiple positions.

Certainly, Prosper has had a great run ahead of the draft and firmly has himself in a position to hear his name called in the first round on June 22, as a result.

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2023 NBA Mock Draft 5.0: 58 projections after the early entry withdrawal deadline

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline.

The NBA pre-draft process crossed another important checkpoint on the schedule with the early entry withdrawal deadline coming and going this week.

Prospects had the opportunity to test the waters and meet with teams to gain feedback on their potential draft stock. To maintain their remaining college eligibility, they had to withdraw from consideration by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.

The deadline saw several potential second-round picks withdraw from the draft and return to school. With name, image and likeness playing a prevalent role in college basketball, players were likely swayed to stay one more year to work on their games and capitalize financially.

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The 2024 draft is also projected to be weaker than in past years, which also may have played a role in some players opting against turning pro. They likely believe they will have a greater chance of being a first-round pick next year.

With several players off the board, teams can prioritize workouts and interviews with those individuals remaining in the draft. As a result, players’ stock will continue to fluctuate with less than three weeks to go until the draft.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline. Team needs were taken into consideration for these picks.

Potential first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper to keep name in draft

Prosper is now a potential first-round pick after emerging as a standout at the draft combine.

Marquette junior Olivier-Maxence Prosper on Friday told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he will keep his name in the 2023 NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility.

Prosper, who was born in Canada, initially declared for the draft in April with the option to return to school next season. He was once viewed as a likely second-round pick, but is considered a potential first-rounder after a strong pre-draft process.

The 6-foot-8 forward produced 21 points and seven rebounds in his lone appearance in 5-on-5 scrimmages at the draft combine last week in Chicago, Illinois. He also recorded the third-highest max vertical jump (40.5 inches) and the third-fastest shuttle run (3.0 seconds).

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Prosper averaged 12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and nearly one steal on 51.2% shooting from the field in 36 games this past season. He recorded four 20-point games, including a career-high 31 points on Nov. 17 in a win over LIU.

He spent time at the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City before playing his freshman year at Clemson. He transferred to Marquette and spent the past two seasons in Milwaukee, establishing himself as a key player for the team.

Prosper said at the combine that he would take some time to make a decision on his future. After receiving feedback from teams, the 20-year-old feels good about entering the draft and looks poised to hear his name called in the first round.

He had until May 31 to withdraw from the draft and return to school.

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2023 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: The latest projections after the draft lottery

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the lottery.

The order of the 2023 NBA draft was decided this week by the lottery, and the San Antonio Spurs received the No. 1 pick for the third time in franchise history.

Of course, that means the Spurs will have the first opportunity to select 7-foot-4 French phenom Victor Wembanyama. They are apparently the team he had his sights set on, and he will now likely look to continue his basketball journey in San Antonio.

Elsewhere, Charlotte and Portland made jumps in their lottery positioning, and they now have more options to consider on draft night. Detroit dropped the furthest from No. 1 by virtue of having the worst record to No. 5.

With the order set, teams will ramp up their draft preparations.

This week, the league converged in Chicago for the G League Elite Camp and draft combine. Though many prospects skipped the 5-on-5 scrimmages and other testing, several seemingly helped themselves with great showings on the court.

Teams will continue to prioritize seeing those individuals that declared as early entrants since the deadline for them to return to school is May 31. Several prospects will have tough decisions to make in the coming days but should have more clarity after the combine.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the lottery. It is important to note that team needs were not necessarily taken into account with each pick. The projections are rather a look at where each individual player stands at this point of the process.

NBA draft combine: Olivier-Maxence Prosper among scrimmage standouts

Marquette junior Olivier-Maxence Prosper emerged as one of the standouts on the first day of 5-on-5 scrimmages at the draft combine.

Marquette junior Olivier-Maxence Prosper emerged as one of the standouts Wednesday on the first day of 5-on-5 scrimmages at the 2023 NBA draft combine in Chicago, Illinois.

The league announced last week that 78 players were expected to attend the festivities this year. In addition, eight more players were invited to compete after participating in the NBA G League Elite Camp over the weekend.

Of those prospects invited, many of them opted against playing in the scrimmages. It is often commonplace that the top prospects skip certain portions of the testing and competition and that was once again the case this year as only 44 players were a part of the scrimmages.

However, several prospects made a name for themselves.

With the first day of the scrimmages in the books, Rookie Wire took a look at those players that had some notable performances on the court and helped raise their draft stock.

Report: Marquette’s Olivier-Maxence Prosper to test pre-draft process

Prosper averaged 12.5 points and 4.7 rebounds on 51.2% shooting from the field in 36 games last season.

Marquette junior Olivier-Maxence Prosper announced Wednesday on social media that he will declare for the 2023 NBA draft after a productive year with the Golden Eagles.

Prosper, who was born in Canada, averaged 12.5 points and 4.7 rebounds on 51.2% shooting from the field in 36 games last season. He recorded four 20-point games, including a career-high 31 points on Nov. 17 in a win over LIU.

The 6-foot-8 forward reportedly declared for the draft while retaining the right to return to school, according to Ben Steele of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He is considered a potential second-round pick and can use the pre-draft process to gain feedback on his stock.

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Prosper previously spent time at the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City before playing his freshman year at Clemson. He transferred to Marquette and has spent the past two seasons in Milwaukee, establishing himself as a key player for the team.

He emerged as a versatile defender with Marquette and was a key reason it advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Though he shot just 33.9% from 3-point range, he improved throughout the year and has the tools to develop into a 3-and-D prospect.

Because Prosper is testing the pre-draft process, the 20-year-old will have until May 31 to withdraw from consideration and return to school next season.

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Why NBA teams looking for the next OG Anunoby should consider drafting Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Every team could use a guy like Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

Marquette’s Olivier-Maxence Prosper announced his intentions to declare early entry for the 2023 NBA Draft, and he deserves your attention.

Prosper averaged 12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists, and 0.9 steals per game with a true shooting percentage of 61.7 percent. Those are solid numbers, but a lot of what makes Prosper shine does not show up in the box score.

Instead, it shows up in the win-loss column. The former NBA Academy Latin America star from Canada (where he was teammates with Pacers rookie Bennedcit Mathurin) was integral to Marquette’s success and played a crucial role in leading the program to win its first-ever Big East Conference title.

Marquette outscored opponents by 26.8 points per 100 possessions when Prosper was on the court relative to when he was not, per CBB Analytics, which ranked second-best among all top-tier Division I programs.

Overall, per Evan Miya, Marquette maintained an overwhelmingly positive point differential (362) when Prosper played.

He uses his 6-foot-8 frame and 7-foot-1 wingspan to impact shots, especially on the perimeter. Opponents shot merely 17-for-71 (23.9 percent) on all possessions when he was credited as the nearest defender, via AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform.

Prosper also held opponents to shoot just 15-for-57 (26.3 percent) when he contested their jump shots, which was the best among all consensus top-100 prospects with more than 50 contested jumpers tracked.

He defends well against opposing drives, pick-and-roll ball handlers, and one-on-one in isolation. He is a versatile defender, which matters at the next level.

(via CBB Analytics)

Meanwhile, on the offensive end of the floor, Prosper didn’t create his own offense off the bounce very often. But, according to CBB Analytics, he was 18-for-48 (37.5 percent) on corner 3-pointers.

He also improved his shooting percentages during each of his three seasons in college.

Additionally, via Stats Perform, he got to the rim often and averaged 0.18 drives per touch. That trailed only Overtime Elite’s Amen Thompson among prospects currently projected in a draftable range.

He was also efficient when attacking the rim in transition, cutters, and as the roll man following ball screens. He was also one of only a handful of high-major players to record at least 30 dunks and 3-pointers in 2022-23.

Although he is a junior, he is only four months older than Alabama freshman Brandon Miller. He is also younger than several notable sophomores in this class, including UConn’s Jordan Hawkins.

Prosper prospects as someone who will scale especially well in the NBA.

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