Already a multi-faceted player, Washington has the chance for a special season in Dallas
It’s been almost four months since the Dallas Mavericks fell to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, courageously betraying the few weaknesses that would prevent them from ultimate success, while also resolutely securing their status as immediate title contenders moving forward. As the Mavs’ much-needed summer break comes to a close, the NBA preseason beckons them once again. Time will soon reveal how that loss has manifested within the team’s psyche, especially for a group of individuals that just last year operated as the sum total of its parts with the faithful constancy of celestial bodies in gravitational orbit. So now, as the road from the void ascends out of purgatory and belief renews itself, players and fans begin to refocus on potentialities. With that in mind, and to move out of the off-season fog, we continue to take stock of this team’s ongoing value. Today’s preview is concentrated on Mavericks power forward PJ Washington.
Big Question
Can Washington anchor the Mavs’ perimeter defense with the loss of Derrick Jones Jr.? Washington’s addition to the Mavericks 2024 roster is comprised of a backstory that’s all too well known at this point. They say hindsight is 20/20, but Nico Harrison’s trade deadline deal to bring aboard Washington and Daniel Gafford from Charlotte and D.C., respectively, has done well to stoke my speculation that Nico is visiting us from the future. PJ was acquired from the Hornets in exchange for Grant Williams, Seth Curry, and a 2027 first-round pick.
At the time of the Washington signing, the Kyrie Irving trade had only just begun to appear shrewd in the eyes of north Texans, and while many pundits proclaimed this newest set of trades for Gafford and Washington could do well to raise Dallas’s ceiling, many, including myself, wondered just how great the initials returns could be with only four months remaining in the season, especially after it took only half that time for the Grant Williams expedition to capsize and sink (maybe the flux-capacitor wasn’t working in the DeLorean last offseason).
Washington’s inauguration, however (and Gafford’s too), set forth with an auspiciously intuitive comprehension of how to achieve immediate cohesion with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving: execute a fundamental off-ball movement, play tough, and always expect the ball; the star backcourt will do everything else. People say the game gets a lot easier when you’re playing with Luka, as we’ve all heard. But not all players have achieved immediate and sustained success in the way that Washington and Gafford just proved themselves to be capable of. The frequency with which their names continue to be mentioned in the same breath is obviously due to their shared arrival in Dallas, but equally because of their immediate contribution to the team’s marked improvement and success.
As expected during the offseason, some wheeling and dealing has led to additions and subtractions within the locker room. The most notable departure is that of power forward Derick Jones Jr., the Mavs’ 2024 reclamation project who just completed a career season and, after playing for the veteran’s minimum in Dallas, has been rewarded with a big payday to join the LA Clippers. Jones Jr. brought a 46” vertical to the table sd well as an efficient hand for on-ball defense. He was a constant lob threat on offense and was consistently deployed (interchangeably with Washington) to play D against the opposing team’s alpha scorer. To help fill the void that Jones’ departure created, Dallas has brought on Naji Marshall from the Pelicans. Naji is somewhat of an unknown to Mavs fans, but someone who appears to fit the 3 and D wing role quite well. I’m personally excited to see him share minutes with Gaff and PJ, from a defensive standpoint, whenever that might come to pass. Other noteworthy additions (outside of Klay Thompson) include Quentin Grimes, Kessler Edwards and former Maverick, Spencer Dinwiddie.
Though Marshall and Grimes are considered defensive-minded additions to the club, Jones Jr. provided a brand of disruptive, defensive attack at the perimeter that can’t simply be demonstrated in statistical rhetoric. Especially during the late-season playoff seeding push, and certainly throughout the playoff run to the finals, his D was downright admirable at times. Preventing elite offenses from executing their game plan wins games, wins series, wins titles. None of this is to say that PJ Washington wasn’t outstanding, defensively, in his own right. The question remains, however, can he raise the bar another notch for himself and make up for the defensive energy lost in Jones Jr.’s decampment?
Best Case Scenario
You wouldn’t anticipate a need to gauge people’s expectations regarding Dallas’s offensive ceiling this season. They now have three of the most potent scorers of the modern NBA era in their starting lineup. The questions concerning their potential will undoubtedly continue to focus on their ability to also play defense. And outside of their currently very strong rotation beneath the basket in centers Derreck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, others will need to step up at the perimeter to help protect the paint from vulnerabilities and to close out on sharpshooters. This will be essential in determining whether or not Dallas will be able to establish itself once more as elite among an increasingly talented Western conference.
As suggested above, Washington’s ascendance to alpha defensive leader will be an vital element in his 2024-25 contribution to this team, and a requisite ingredient of their potential to return to the big stage. Possessing high-quality (and big potential) bigs, such as the two that Dallas currently has in its rotation, offers a major cushion for perimeter defenders; funneling action to a lurking and highly capable 5 is part of what worked for Dallas last year. Washington has demonstrated his lateral quickness and spacial awareness; he has hand speed an all-around strong defensive acumen, along with a determined focus on disrupting plays from all directions. These are key components for a potential NBA All-Defense candidate. Now that he has his legs securely beneath himself in Dallas, alongside a growing reputation as someone who will react if agitated, PJ could bring his value to a previously unexpected proportion if he embraces the fierceness at the core of his highest calling.
We can also look at his inherent value on the offensive side of the ball, where he is no slouch. In 29 regular season games with the Mavs last season, Washington averaged almost 12 points per game, along with just over 6 rebounds, and while his 3pt% shrank to 31.4% (keep in mind his shot attempts were always going to decrease in Dallas), he brought that number up to a respectable 34.8% across the span of 22 playoff games, a boost that legitimately helped clinch some very clutch playoff games for the Mavericks. In particular, his offensive touch was red-hot during games 2-4 against OKC, putting up 29, 27, and 21 points, respectively, during those outings. Across those 3 games, PJ was 7, 5, and 5 on made 3’s. Dallas struggled mightily as a team with their field goal percentage in the Finals series. That can be attributed to a variety of unfortunate causes, and the only reason I mention it is to highlight the fact that PJ Washington, while not the alpha shooter or ball handler that Donic and Irving are, does, however, possess the ability to be a key producer on the offensive side of the ball, especially from deep, which would only add to an already impressive group of floor spacers.
While it’s been said lately that he’s put in work to make adjustments and continue to develop his shooting from distance, it seems that an improvement in his interior jump shot could take his offensive game to an even more productive and reliable place. He’s shown a willingness to attack the basket. He often tends to execute his release as a runner or floater, lofting it up high into the air several feet from the rim. It’s not an ineffective shot, statistically speaking, and I don’t dislike it. But, a refinement in form could increase its potency. Getting himself into position to use the glass more often might unburden his reliance on absolute finesse. But this particular shot is also part of what makes him fun to watch.
He received plenty of open jams last season as a cutter and his ability to finish strong would indicate he has room to improve if he operates with more determination and decisiveness when putting the ball down and driving. With the good fortune of playing alongside two superstars, it was as if his confidence took a leap with each new game. He’s already very good at what he does, but hasn’t yet reached his ceiling.
Fortunately, the Mavs will be just fine, offensively, if he can just bring the same amount of energy and production as he was able to last season; anything additional is a luxury. His ability to lead this team from a defensive standpoint, on the other hand, will be essential. When the playoffs begin, aggression and physicality (and a team’s reaction to it) can set the tone for a series.
Worst Case Scenario
This type of speculation isn’t my strong suit. I don’t enjoy envisioning failure for players I support, but for the sake of reinforcing my belief that Washington’s role is crucial in the Mav’s attempt to reach the summit as champions, I can briefly outline what we don’t want to see. We don’t want injuries, we don’t want confusion over expectations, and we don’t want a loss of focus. The Mavericks need PJ Washington to be the kind of player that can make opposing teams perturbed and destabilized in critical moments. If that fire in him is somehow extinguished or otherwise dimmed, that would severely limit the Maverick’s potential on the defensive end, and thus, their overall ability to be dominant.
Season Goal
Emerge as a ferocious defensive leader. As we’ve probed and relived the 2024 run to calibrate our expectations, Mavs fans should glean an acute sense of optimism from the fact that PJ seems very motivated to be the best version of himself on the court this year. He’s a crucial member of this Mavericks team on both ends of the ball, and his hawkish instincts and swashbuckling proclivities bring vital energy to the rest of the roster. The Mavericks got lucky with his acquisition. If he continues to make strides in his game, it could lift Dallas into a higher realm of attainment.