Jason Kidd Reveals Next Step for Mavericks Starter

This could help the Mavericks' offense become even more dangerous

Sep 30, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) poses for a photo during the 2024 Dallas Mavericks media day. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks made a risky trade during last season's trade deadline, bringing in P.J. Washington from the Charlotte Hornets and sending out the newly signed Grant Williams. That move helped turn the Mavericks into a contender and one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, as the Mavs went on an improbable run to the NBA Finals. While he was an important piece last year, Jason Kidd thinks Washington has another level to his game he can unlock.

Kidd was asked after a practice in Las Vegas this week what the next step for Washington is, and the answer may surprise you.

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"The next step is for him to be able to bring the ball up. Get the rebound & don’t always look for Luka [Doncic] or Kai [Kyrie Irving]. We trust that he can playmake too, so we look for him to have the season he had last year and build from there.”

As much as the lack of three-point shooting hurt the Mavs in the NBA Finals last year, so did the lack of on-ball creation. If the ball left Luka Doncic's hands, Dallas had a hard time getting anyone else to initiate offense, especially in the three games in Boston, where Kyrie Irving struggled.

For the playoffs, Washington had 31 assists to 32 turnovers. Kidd wants to rely less on Luka Doncic this year, but that can only happen if players like Washington keep developing.

Washington could also stand to become a better shooter. Outside of a tremendous series from deep against the OKC Thunder, he's largely struggled as a three-point shooter in Dallas, shooting 31.4% in the regular season and 25.9% in the final two playoff series. The Mavs want to give Doncic and Kyrie Irving as much spacing as possible to make the offense even harder to guard, a big reason why they brought in Klay Thompson this offseason.

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