P.J. Washington is giving the Dallas Mavericks exactly what they need right now: confident perimeter shooting, and plenty of it.
Under new head coach Dusty May, Washington has settled into a role that puts his jumper front and center in an offense built around Kyrie Irving and an improving Cooper Flagg. May made it clear after Washington’s 26-point season high in Friday’s win over Utah that the Mavericks want him firing away.
“We need P.J. to be a 3-point shooter for us. He’s got a beautiful shot,” May said.
Washington, the Frisco, Texas, native, is knocking down just under 37 percent of his 3-pointers this season while taking a career-high 6.5 attempts per game. Against the Jazz, he was 5-of-6 from deep in the first half alone. Then in Sunday’s blowout over Brooklyn, he kept the pressure on by hitting two of his three tries from beyond the arc.
“I love him shooting with that amount of confidence, because we need it,” May said. “But overall, just a really good game by P.J., especially in the first half [against Utah]. We won the hustle plays in the first half, but without his shots we’ll have a deficit.”
That kind of production has been a welcome lift for a Dallas offense that struggled last season. With Klay Thompson gone in free agency and Max Christie off to an injury-riddled start, Washington’s shooting has filled a major hole for a team that ranked 29th in 3-point shooting a year ago.
His value goes beyond the box score, too. Washington’s ability to handle almost any spot on the floor gives Dallas a kind of frontcourt spacing that is tough for bigger defenders to deal with, especially with newcomer Santi Aldama also in the mix.
“When anybody has the hot hand you just want to feed them,” Washington said, while also pointing to shooting coach Rob Fodor for helping build his confidence through preparation. “That goes with anybody on the team. When you get the feeling of it’s your night, you want the ball to come to you and you just want to shoot openly.
“But in general I just try to be the glue guy for everybody and clean up everybody’s messes and make everything stick.”
Irving remains the engine of the offense, but Flagg’s growth as a playmaker has added another layer for Dallas. After posting a career-high 12 assists in the win over the Nets, Flagg said the progress comes from both his own work and the way the group is functioning together.
“There’s been a lot of growth and that’s something I worked on a lot, making reads, but I think that speaks to our group as well,” Flagg said.
“Everybody’s just trusting each other. ... [I was] playing through our system and making the right play and guys were making shots, and it helps.”
Dallas hit 14 3-pointers against Brooklyn, its second-highest total of the season, while shooting 40 percent from deep, also its second-best mark of the young year.
The Mavericks now take a two-game winning streak into Monday night’s back end of a back-to-back against the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Center.
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Cooper Flaggs Breakout Has Mavericks Fans Eyeing A Bigger Test
The Mavericks took control early against the Nets and never really let the game drift, with Cooper Flagg doing the heavy lifting in a performance that gave Dallas plenty to feel good about. Flagg kept the offense organized and aggressive, and the win came with a smoother look than the team has often had when trying to settle into its rotation.
Brooklyn never found much rhythm, especially after Noah Clowney ran into foul trouble and was out of the game in under eight minutes. Dallas also eased Max Christie back in after his injury return, a reminder that the Mavericks are still sorting out their pieces even as the results start to tilt their way. The bigger question now is how Flagg's growing role translates when the opposition is a little less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Backcourt Problem Just Got Harder To Ignore
The Mavericks backcourt depth is getting tested in a way that makes every absence behind Kyrie Irving feel a little heavier. With backup point guard Sergio De Larrea out because of a right knee sprain, Dallas has had to lean more on its current reserve guards, and Walter Clayton Jr. has helped steady the rotation while the team tries to keep the position from becoming a nightly problem.
De Larrea has already missed six straight games, and the delay in his return only adds to the uncertainty around a group that was already thin. For a team trying to manage its guard minutes carefully, the longer this lingers the more the Mavericks have to rely on patchwork solutions, at least until there is clearer news on when he can get back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Guard Shakeup Is Creating An Early Rotation Battle
The Mavericks are still sorting out their backcourt mix after Max Christies recent shooting slump and the hip issue that has cut into his availability. In the meantime, Caleb Martin has slid into the starting shooting guard spot and given Dallas a steadier look on the wing, bringing defense and efficient shooting from deep while the coaching staff keeps testing different combinations early in the season.
Walter Clayton Jr. has also entered the conversation as a useful ball-moving option, giving the Mavericks another guard to consider as they evaluate roles and lineups. With Dusty May continuing to experiment, this has become more than a temporary patch job, it is an early rotation battle that could shape how the backcourt settles once the team gets deeper into the schedule. [Read more 🡒]