The second round of the 2024 NBA Draft begins today, and NBA teams are finding different ways to help boost their roster. Some ideas include moving up in the draft, trading veteran players for salary dumps, and selecting the best player available.
The Dallas Mavericks are no different, as the team is weighing options with the 58th pick. One option includes trading up in the draft for players like Jamal Shead, Boogie Ellis, or Jalen Bridges.
One player the Mavs could move in the draft is Tim Hardaway Jr. It’s been rumored that the team is looking to trade Hardaway Jr. to help create salary space. Hardaway Jr. saw his role diminish in the playoffs, causing him to become frustrated, and his minutes per game fell drastically. He averaged 26.8 minutes per game during the regular season, but that number dropped to 12.7 in the playoffs.
P.J. Washington “retooling” his jumpshot to make Mavericks unstoppable
However, the biggest boost could come within the organization. On the podcast “Take Dat Wit You,” Mark Followill and Brian Dameris discussed the importance of P.J. Washington experiencing a full training camp with the Mavericks.
They further explained how he can establish himself within the Mavs’ offense and work on improving his jumper.
“His shot has been completely retooled so that his 3-point average can go up because I don’t think the organization thought that they liked what his shooting was coming in here. We saw glimpses of that, especially in the Oklahoma City series, he’s going to be open, he’s going to get open looks and I think more seasoning within this structure and some time to help him learn, and not learn on the fly will help him. “
– Brian Dameris
Its possible the Mavericks might be onto something. Washington shot 31.4 percent during the regular season with Dallas. His numbers leaped in the playoffs when he converted 34.8 percent of his attempts from long range. Brian mentioned that his best numbers were in the OKC series, where he made 46.9 percent of his 3-point attempts.
This is a drastic improvement from his months in Dallas. Washington struggled in his first full month with the team shooting 28.7 percent from downtown. He took a step in the right direction, converting 37.5 percent of his 3-pointers in April.
Washington’s improved and “retooled” shot would be a huge asset to the team. Last season, the Mavs ranked 14th in 3-point percentage. They had two players shot above 40 percent from downtown.
His improved shot would also be a difference maker, as one of the team’s needs is a 3-and-D wing. Washington has already shown he is a great defender who can make it difficult for his opponents. If he improves his 3-point shot, then this would make him the perfect candidate for the job.
Washington becoming a knockdown shooter would make himself and the Mavs unstoppable.
Be the first to comment