JJ Redick sings Maxi Kleber's praises after strong game on Sunday

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Maxi Kleber's playing time this season has been inconsistent. He has had a number of DNP-CDs (did not play -- coach's decision), but he has also had some games where he has gotten meaningful playing time.

He isn't the same player he was a few years ago, when he was known as a solid defender and a decent 3-point shooter. But a few times this season, the 6-foot-10 big man has come in and held things down very well.

In the Los Angeles Lakers' 128-104 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, Kleber played 14 minutes and made all three of his shot attempts to score six points while grabbing six rebounds and blocking one shot. He also does some of the little things that don't show up in the stat sheet but add up to victories.

Coach JJ Redick sang Kleber's praises following Sunday's game.

“We have a lot of good guys on our team,” Redick said. “A lot. I love these guys. His teammates love him. He’s a terrific teammate. It’s easy to root for his success because of when he started his NBA career and some of these injuries. He’s not the same that he was when he was at his peak in Dallas, when I thought he was one of the most impactful universal defenders in the NBA. But he just plays winning basketball, [is] very unselfish and selfless.”

Redick was teammates with Kleber on the Dallas Mavericks during the 2020-21 season, so he knows firsthand the type of impact Kleber can have on the court. He pointed out how the veteran set effective screens, which is something that always helps teammates get good shots. Kleber also rolled and cut to the basket well on Sunday, which resulted in him throwing down two rim-rattling dunks.

With Deandre Ayton continuing to be inconsistent, especially on the offensive end, Kleber could play a role in the Lakers' success down the stretch of this season and in the playoffs.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick sings Maxi Kleber's praises after strong game on Sunday

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