Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington has opened up on the team's newest acquisition, Klay Thompson while speaking with local media on Tuesday. Washington made it clear that the team is excited to use his leadership and experience to further climb the mountain of greatness.
“I think it’s great. I think he brings a lot to our team, a lot of leadership. Obviously, he’s been at the top of the mountain for a while, so I think it’s great he’s on our team and gives us some knowledge as well too.”
Washington was a mid-season acquisition for the Mavericks last season, quickly emerging as one of the best players on the roster behind the star duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving . Washington averaged 11.7 points and 6.2 rebounds after joining the Mavericks last season, being an impactful presence on the wing that the franchise hasn't had in the Doncic era.
Washington's contributions as an outside shooter (46.9 3P% on 8.9 attempts per game) helped the Mavericks beat the No. 1 seed OKC Thunder as underdogs in the second round of the Playoffs, but his lack of accuracy in the NBA Finals (27.3 3P% on 4.9 attempts per game) is what prompted the Mavericks to acquire a sharpshooter like Thompson.
Klay is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, averaging 17.9 points on 38.7% from three. With one of the Mavericks' biggest strengths being their three-point creation, the franchise will be hoping that Klay will be a more consistent shooter with more open shots or that Klay's shooting gravity further opens up more space for players like Washington as well.
The Mavericks Are Pushing For Contention
In the matter of two seasons, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison has completely reshaped this roster. The Jalen Brunson departure in the summer of 2022 landed a devastating blow to the franchise which led to them missing the 2023 Playoffs entirely, but it set up the building blocks for their current success.
Kyrie Irving was acquired via trade mid-season that year, with the Mavs failing to win with a Doncic-Irving duo without any supplemental support. This led to the Mavericks retaining their 10th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and using it to dump Davis Bertans to the Thunder and draft Dereck Lively II at No. 12 instead.
Lively was one of the most impactful rookies last season and has set a new standard for how a rookie center can transform a team into a contender. Lively's success prompted the Mavericks to also acquire Daniel Gafford at the deadline to add more verticality to the center position, something Doncic absolutely loves.
There have been bad moves, such as trading a 2030 first-round pick swap to the Spurs to acquire Grant Williams last summer and needing to send out an unprotected 2027 first-round pick to acquire P.J. Washington, but P.J. has proven to be worth the price.
Additions like Quentin Grimes and Naji Marshall this summer give the Mavericks even more versatility in how they can structure their lineups, making this one of the most intriguing teams heading into next season. With Doncic getting a summer to rest after Slovenia failed to qualify for the Olympics, fans will be coming into next season optimistic.
Related: Mavericks GM Claims Klay Thompson Deal Was A 'No-Brainer'
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