Difference-makers: When the trade deadline duo of dreams took Dallas to lob city 

Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington showed us how big a difference positive energy and hustle can make.

The NBA trade deadline 8. February 2024 brought with it to Dallas a burst of energy and good vibes the likes of which you have to look at Olympic gold winners to replicate. Two real difference-makers had come to town and it was clear as day for everybody that things were about to get exciting.

The debut of the energetic duo, big man Daniel Gafford and power forward P.J. Washington, was nothing short of sensational. Treat yourself today and take a moment to watch these highlights of their first game against the Oklahoma Thunder, in which Dallas won 146-111.

Whether you’re a Mavs fan or not, I challenge you to not smile at the energy in the building and the great vibes on the floor:

Gafford finished with 19 points and nine rebounds in his debut, while Washington finished with 14 points. And both helped create some of the best zero-to-one-hundred vibes that I have ever witnessed. These were vibes, hustle and energy, mind you, that they kept up through the playoffs and which helped them get there – and ultimately to the Finals. Difference-makers from the first minute.

This first game against the Thunder is really a study in what good energy and attitude can do to a team. These two are not superstars, but the energy they brought made everything easy for the whole team.

From the get-go even the superstars looked different. The experienced, accomplished point guard duo, who can both turn on a gear almost no one can match, had been struggling with injuries and energy. But within the first minutes of this game, Luka Dončić had three 3’s. And then Kyrie Irving gets going, looking like he can walk on water against one of the best defenses in the league. And mind you, the two new guys haven’t even seen the floor yet, but the building is buzzing already. Something is different – you can even feel it through the screen.

Both Jason Kidd and Luka Dončić are clearly aware of how important it is that the new guys have a good start. When Gafford first sees the floor, Luka is very careful to set him up for an easy alley-oop to start him off right, and boy does Gafford deliver.

This ability to involve new players and feed others when they’re hot is a very overlooked ability of Luka’s.

Another example is when it’s Washington’s turn to debut, and Luka does the same thing and sets him up for success, as well. They run a play, Luka knows where Washington will be and throws the lob for an easy dunk.

The exhilaration was so tangible in this moment – and all through the game. The release of tension and emotion in having a talented big, who can hold his own in the paint and a wing with huge potential brought with it an excitement for the future that Dallas hadn’t seen for years.

And as the play style of this team from now on became lob city, more or less, Dallas became one of the most entertaining teams to watch. Gone were the days of slow offense, constant iso and defensive breakdowns, hello to the most dunks by any team for years.

Even though this piece was supposed to focus on that one first game, it’s impossible to talk about Washington as a difference-maker without mentioning his standing on business extravaganza against the Clippers in the playoffs, which arguably helped the Mavs get the mental upper hand in this series.

This moment in time will forever be legendary and it shows how Washington understands the mental aspect of this game better than most.

You can make a difference because you’re very good at your job. But you can also be a difference-maker through your attitude and good energy. Gafford and Washington did both, and they’re proof that both are needed to win.

Though they have yet to play a full season for the Mavericks, they both made an incredible difference on and off the floor, and without them, the Mavericks probably would not have wound up in the Finals.

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