Before the midseason deadline, the Dallas Mavericks executed a big trade to acquire P.J. Washington from the Charlotte Hornets. His most impressive performance since joining the team was against the Toronto Raptors, where he finished with 23 points, six rebounds, and three blocks.

Since that Washington is mainly distributing the floor for Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, his catch-and-shoot percentage will have a big impact on how many points he scores. With the Mavs, he has established himself as the starting power forward with averages of 10.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 30.9 minutes per game while shooting 44.8 percent overall and 29.4 percent from three-point range. 

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In short bursts, Washington has demonstrated that he is a dangerous big man in pick-and-roll situations, a post scorer who can attack closeouts, and a dynamic defender. He believes that the Mavs’ all-star backcourt is the “best one-two punch” in the NBA, so it’s critical that he performs the little things on both ends to support and enhance their play. 

“In my role, just come out, be aggressive on both ends of the floor, take open shots, guard,” Washington said. “No matter who they tell me to guard just being able to play with those two guys is special. Obviously, they’re the best one-two punch in the league, in my opinion. So, just being able to play off them opens up everybody’s game, and it makes it hard for teams to guard us.”

Perhaps most fascinating about the early returns of Washington’s Mavs tenure has been the continued impact he’s provided despite being one of the NBA’s least efficient catch-and-shoot players during this period. He’s produced just 0.931 points per possession (PPP) on these shot attempts, ranking 367th among 537 players who have registered at least 20 attempts this season. 

Against the Raptors, Washington showed the Mavs what his impact can look like when he consistently connects from beyond the arc. He shot 9-16 from the floor and 5-10 from beyond the arc while continuing to defend at a high level. 

“I just felt like I was getting more comfortable each and every game,” Washington said. “Obviously, my teammates did a good job of finding me tonight. I was hitting shots.”

Kidd has made it clear that Washington must complement the Mavs’ elite players on the court by adding another dynamic aspect to their offence. Washington offers a persistent attempt to boost the talent in the supporting cast, which begs the crucial question: can he be the third scoring option in the offensive hierarchy for a squad that has frequently used one-dimensional role players next to Doncic? 

“We would like to be consistent with a third,” Kidd said. “Yes, that would make coaching or being a teammate a little bit easier, knowing who’s going to be there on a consistent basis. And I think P.J. is starting to trend that way.”

The Mavs hope that Washington will emerge as the obvious third scoring option to provide Doncic and Irving the much-needed relief they need in the offensive line. Dallas anticipates success by including Washington into the equation in a way that creates a constant hierarchy.

“He was letting the three go, and he was being aggressive,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “And he did what he’s done since he’s been here defensively, playing at a high level. So if we can count on that [scoring], that puts us in a different category, with having three consistent scorers.”

Washington sees a big chance to receive those deliveries from a great playmaker like Doncic, who sees a few steps ahead of the defence and has the passing ability to capitalise. In particular, the superstar from Slovenia has assisted on 17 of his made shots. As of Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics, he was shooting 17-35 (48.6 percent) overall and 6-15 (40.0 percent) from outside the arc.  

“Just seeing the way he breaks down the game and the way he can pass the ball, I think it’s special,” Washington said of Doncic. “I haven’t been able to play with anybody of his caliber, so just to see that each and every night has been incredible.”

Washington has impressive physical attributes that allow him to guard various positions and be a valuable help defender. He is 6-foot-7 with a wingspan of 7 feet 2. In the 216 minutes he has played for the Mavs, he has made excellent use of them all, outscoring opponents by 12.7 points per 100 possessions and helped the team limit them to 108.2 points per 100 possessions.  

“I love the fact that he talked about defense because we’re going to be holding him accountable,” Harrison said of Washington’s defensive impact. “He can do a lot of things that he doesn’t show all the time because the game comes easy to him. So we’ll make sure to push him to get the best out of him.”

Doncic is aware of Washington’s influence and emphasises how he benefits the team even in the absence of a basket. Even when the shots aren’t falling, the franchise cornerstone has faith in the ability of a player the Mavs see as a third scoring option.

“Yeah, he’s been great all the time,” Doncic said of Washington. “Sometimes, he doesn’t score, but all around, he’s been great for us. Great addition. I am just happy to have him on our team.”