2024-25 Mavericks Player Cards: P.J. Washington

Less flash, more grit is the winning formula for the versatile forward

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images

P.J. Washington is the third player we’ll dig into in this series. I have to admit I had some doubts when the Mavericks traded for the 6-foot-7 forward back in February, but like many other fans, he quickly became one of my favorite Mavericks to watch. Undersized power forwards who compensated for their lack of height with strength, physicality, and the ability to handle the ball and do more than just rebound were my thing back in the '90s and early 2000s when that was still one of the most prominent positions. Anthony Mason and Larry Johnson were two players I always loved to watch. Seeing a player like Washington—now in a pace-and-space era where that archetype is nearly extinct—trying to find his niche and make an impact was one of the more positive subplots last season.

Washington has a unique skill set, but the addition of Klay Thompson might require him to dial back his offensive flair even more and fully embrace the role of key defender and enforcer that helped resurrect his career in Dallas.

2023-24 key stats: 29 games played, 28 games started | 32.1 minutes, 11.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, 1.2 steals per game | 42.1 percent field goal (Note: These are Washington’s 2023-24 stats with the Mavericks).

Projected role in 2023-24: Starting power forward, expected to play 29-32 minutes per game. See early August rotation analysis for more.

Archetype on Offense: Spot-up shooting wing (he has the potential to do more, but may not get the opportunity to showcase it—see the Key Question section later)

Archetype on Defense: Wing defender, secondary rim protector

A stat that stands out: Washington's individual stats were nothing special in his first year in Dallas, but the impact he made with his length, physicality, and hustle went beyond the basic box score. After a prolonged period of playing undersized lineups and being one of the smallest teams in the NBA, the Mavericks not only added another legitimate big with Daniel Gafford but also gained a forward with size and bulk by acquiring Washington at the last trade deadline. Much of the discussion about the Mavericks' post-trade-deadline defensive turnaround focused on consistently having a rim-protecting center on the floor. However, pairing that center with a lengthy forward who can defend on the ball and serve as a secondary rim protector when off the ball was equally, if not more, important.

Lineups featuring Dereck Lively II or Gafford paired with Washington were elite at protecting the rim, allowing opponents to shoot just 62.0 percent from the field there, placing them in the 90th percentile in the NBA. This combination was also highly effective at controlling the defensive glass, limiting opponents to a 24.4 percent offensive rebound rate, ranking in the 87th percentile. For comparison, lineups with Lively or Gafford at center but Grant Williams or Derrick Jones Jr. at power forward ranked in the bottom third of the league in both opponent field goal percentage at the rim and offensive rebounding. Defense and rebounding were question marks for Washington when he came out of Charlotte, but he excelled at both in Dallas.

A stat that makes me think: Most of the stats I'll share here illustrate the shift in Washington's offensive role in Dallas and help us understand the challenges I'll highlight in the Key question section. Washington was such an intriguing player in Charlotte because he could do a variety of things: shoot, serve as a pop or short-roll partner in pick-and-roll, drive and finish, hit his signature mid-range pull-up shot, and even handle the ball as a primary initiator at times.

In Dallas, it was challenging to integrate his diverse skill set on the fly—without a training camp—into an offense centered around Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, especially with the team fighting for a playoff spot. His role was simplified, primarily serving as a spot-up threat, often stretching the floor from the corners. According to Cleaning the Glass, Washington had a usage rate of 14.8 percent last season with the Mavericks, the lowest mark of his career. His assist rate dropped to 5.9 percent, nearly half of what it was during his previous seasons in Charlotte. On the other hand, his corner three frequency— the share of his shots taken from the corners—more than doubled to 21 percent, up from 9 percent in his last two seasons with the Hornets. And in the playoffs, that number swelled to 30 percent. Washington admitted that he wasn’t as accustomed to shooting from the corner; most of his three-point attempts before joining the Mavericks were from above the break, often off the dribble. He made only 23% of his corner threes during the regular season in Dallas but improved to 39% in the playoffs. In the OKC series, his shooting played a pivotal role in shifting the series in the Mavericks' favor. While Washington has plenty of other intriguing skills, his ability to make the corner shot at a 35-40% rate will be the most crucial one.

Key play that intrigued (and I would like to see more of): I’ll highlight two types of plays here because Washington is such an intriguing player—and, well, why not?

The first play is from a late February game against the Cleveland Cavaliers when Washington made three clutch buckets in the fourth quarter, including what would have been the game-winner with three seconds left—if not for a miraculous 59-foot Hail Mary by Max Strus (yep, that one still hurts).

The first two plays in the video were rare occasions when Jason Kidd utilized Washington as a screener for Dončić, allowing him to make plays out of the short roll. Washington set only 7.6 screens per 100 possessions during the regular season with the Mavericks—a significant drop from the 20 to 30 screens per 100 possessions he averaged in his five seasons in Charlotte. In the stats section, you've seen how playing Washington alongside either Lively or Gafford significantly boosts the Mavericks' defense and rebounding. The downside is that both are non-shooting bigs, so utilizing them as screeners and rim-roll options makes the most sense—but it also reduces the number of opportunities for Washington.

The other play is from the playoffs, when opponents tried to hide their weakest defenders on either Derrick Jones Jr. or Washington. With Klay Thompson now in the mix, there might be even more occasions in the future when teams will designate their weakest defender to cover Washington. Going to Washington in the post—where he successfully attacked Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—was a key adjustment in Game 2 of the OKC series, forcing the Thunder to adjust their matchups. Similarly, he exploited the Wolves' scheme that struggled to hide Mike Conley on defense (unfortunatlley that was not the case against Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Sam Hauser in the Finals).

In his exit interview, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison highlighted Washington's post play as one of the ways he could increase his points per game by at least a couple of points next season (along with pushing the ball on the break, driving the ball, and improving his three-point shooting). However, that was before Harrison swung a deal for Thompson, which might further impact Washington's role and touches. This brings us to the next question.

Key Question: Can Jason Kidd find enough touches for Washington to keep him fully engaged?

Washington was the third most important player for the Mavericks last season, ranking third in minutes, points, and field goal attempts during both the regular season and the playoffs. He averaged 10.4 field-goal attempts per game, but that number might decline with the addition of Thompson and Lively's continued growth. We can assume that Thompson, who averaged 14.7 field goal attempts per game last season—the lowest since his sophomore year in the Bay—won't be asked to sacrifice much more in Dallas and will likely take over the role as the third scoring threat. Having Washington as the fifth option on offense in lineups featuring him, Dončić, Irving, Thompson, and Lively is a nice luxury, and a role he’ll be overqualified for on most nights. Washington mentioned ball handling and creating offense as areas he looks forward to improving in his second season in Dallas, but I'm not sure how many on-ball opportunities will be available for him.

What’s next (what to expect next season): Maybe the shots and touches won’t always be there, but I expect the minutes to be. Washington is the only proven option at the power forward spot besides Maxi Kleber, who is hard to rely on for extended minutes or games at this point in his career.

A full training camp, following a deep playoff run with the core of Dončić, Irving, and Lively, should make Washington even more comfortable in his role in Dallas. He fully embraced his role as the glue guy, willingly sacrificing and doing the dirty work last season. Playing at home on a contending team should provide enough motivation for him to embrace that role again. The addition of Thompson and the departure of Jones Jr. will make the need for glue guys even more crucial.

Watching Washington stand on business was one of the most memorable moments of the playoffs. It was refreshing to see a Maverick who could take on the enforcer role, even intimidating some opponents. With the addition of Naji Marshall, the Mavericks now have two players who won’t back down from anyone—just another reason to be excited for year two of Washington in a Mavs uniform.