P.J. Washington on ‘Reloaded’ Mavericks Roster and His Development: ‘Everybody’s Locked In'
P.J. Washington talks about the Dallas Mavericks' roster upgrades and his offseason development as they aim for another Finals run in 2024.
DALLAS — After a surprising run to the NBA Finals last season, the Dallas Mavericks bolstered their roster with key additions like Klay Thompson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Quentin Grimes, and Naji Marshall to push for a title. P.J. Washington, who was traded to the Mavericks in February, is thrilled about the team’s potential to follow up their Finals run with another strong season.
“They’re all going to be great additions,” Washington recently told reporters at his youth basketball camp. “I’m excited for y’all to see. They can pretty much do everything, and they’re going to help us in every single way. I’m glad those new guys are here with us, and I’m glad we get a chance to play with them as well.”
Washington, however, is focused on taking that final step. Dallas went 50-32 last season, finishing fifth in the Western Conference. Despite being underdogs in every playoff series, they knocked off the LA Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves before falling to Boston in the Finals. In 29 games with the Mavericks last season, Washington averaged 11.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in 32.2 minutes per contest. His production rose in the postseason, where he posted 13 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Still, like much of the group, he struggled against the Celtics.
“That’s definitely the plan,” Washington said. “Everybody’s excited. We’ve reloaded, and everybody’s locked in and ready to go. I’m just excited to get to camp and get things rolling.”
Now entering his fifth NBA season, Washington believes the Mavericks have made the key upgrades needed to stay in the title conversation. He’s eager to start training camp and build chemistry with his new teammates.
“I’m just excited to get back in the gym and see what we can do with this team,” Washington said. “Obviously, we have a new group. I’m excited to go in, mesh with the guys, and see how good we can be. I believe we can do it and win it all, and that’s our goal.”
Lessons from the Finals Loss
Reflecting on the Finals loss, Washington believes the Mavs didn’t stay true to the style of play that got them there. He likened it to a “learning curve” going forward—fueling the team’s motivation to improve.
“I think we got away from that early, and I think that’s what cost us,” Washington said. “At the end of the day, we had to play the way we played to get there, and I don’t feel like we did that in the Finals. It was a learning curve for us, but everybody is excited to be back, and everybody wants to get back to that mountain top.”
Although national media may not rank the Mavericks as Western Conference favorites this season, Washington remains unfazed. He believes the team’s talent and focus will allow them to handle any opponent.
“We don’t really care about what they think,” Washington said. “At the end of the day, we just got to focus on what we know we can do, and that’s going out and playing the best way we can. As long as we stick together and play our game, we feel like we can beat anybody.”
Team Bonding and Offseason Progress
To strengthen their pursuit of a title, Washington and many of his teammates—including Kyrie Irving and Thompson—organized a mini-camp in Los Angeles during the offseason. The only players who didn’t attend were international players Luka Dončić and Dwight Powell.
“It was great,” Washington said. “Not a lot of teams get to do stuff like that. That was my first time doing that. Just to be able to be with those guys in that time has been great.”
Entering his first full season with the Mavericks, Washington focused on several aspects of his game during the summer, knowing how his role fits with the team. He worked on his ball-handling, playmaking, finishing through contact, and shooting off the dribble to elevate his impact.
“My ball handling, being able to rebound the ball and just push and be another outlet,” Washington said. “Being able to shoot off the dribble. Pretty much everything. Working on finishing through contact. Just trying to be a better three-level scorer and trying to be a better playmaker.”
Training Camp in Las Vegas is Approaching
Media Day for the Mavericks is scheduled for Sept. 30, with training camp to follow from Oct. 1-4 in Las Vegas. The team’s run to the Finals last season was fueled by midseason trades that brought in center Daniel Gafford and Washington. When the trades were made on Feb. 8, Dallas had a 29-23 record but finished the season 21-9.
Washington looks forward to experiencing his first full training camp with the Mavericks, saying, “Just getting a whole season under our belt will be great for us, just to be here every day, every step of the way. I’m excited. I can’t wait for Game 1 and just trying to go out and have a winning season and obviously be where we want to be at the end of the day.”
With Washington’s personal development and the Mavericks’ revamped roster, the team looks ready to make another deep playoff run during the upcoming season.
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