It hasn't taken long for P.J. Washington to make his presence felt on defense for the Dallas Mavericks.
Through three games, the 6-foot-7 forward has an 89.1 defensive rating and has sparked a Mavs (32-23) defense that had struggled for much of the season. He also has a plus-minus of 51 points through his first three games in Dallas.
While Washington has struggled to find consistent success on offense, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd lauded his effort and versatility on defense after their 116-93 win over the San Antonio Spurs (11-44) on Wednesday at the American Airlines Center. The win extended Dallas' win streak to six games, and improved the team's record to 3-0 with Washington and center Daniel Gafford.
"He’s guarding everyone, and he’s guarding them at a high level," Kidd said. "So that gives us depth to be able to play him on bigs or bigger wings or even smalls. So, to just see that here in the short time, his defense is above par, and we need that...Defensively, I think he and [Mavericks forward] Maxi [Kleber] give us something we can definitely use going down the stretch here.”
The proof is in the pudding, as Dallas dropped nearly one point in points allowed per game since the arrival of Washington and center Gafford. In the 52 games before the Mavs acquired their new guys, they had allowed 118.1 points per game. In three games with Washington and Gafford, Dallas has allowed 102.7 points per game. A massive difference that shouldn't be overlooked.
Washington's defensive versatility and Gafford's shot-blocking ability have greatly improved the Mavs' ability to play defense. With the improvements on defense, Dallas has shown signs of going from a team that would try to win in a track meet to one that can defend at a high clip.
With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Dallas can hang with the best of them offensively. If the Mavs can develop a stout defense with Washington and Gafford in tow, it'll make the Mavs one of the more dangerous teams after the All-Star break and potentially in the playoffs.
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