P.J. Washington 2024 NBA Playoffs Scouting Report: Dissecting Dallas Mavericks power forward's impact and minutes

The Dallas Mavericks acquired P.J. Washington from the Charlotte Hornets in a midseason trade involving Grant Williams and Seth Curry. Washington brought a lot of energy, shooting and defense for the Mavs. He's one of the reasons why Dallas finished the season strong and locked up the No. 5 seed with two games left.

Washington spent the first four and a half seasons of his career with the Hornets after they took him 12th overall in 2019 out of Kentucky. He started immediately in Charlotte and has been solid ever since. He even signed a three-year, $48 million deal to stay with them last summer.

Dallas was looking for a scorer over 6-foot-8 and Washington's profile was perfect. He's not a three-level scorer but he can score inside and knock down threes. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have been finding him regularly, affecting the game for the Mavericks.

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P.J. Washington's regular season stats

P.J. Washington played 44 regular-season games for the Charlotte Hornets this season, averaging 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Here are his stats with the Dallas Mavericks in 28 games:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	FG%	3P%	FT%
P.J. Washington	11.8	6.3	1.5	1.2	1.0	1.1	41.8%	31.3%	62.7%

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P.J. Washington's career playoff stats

Because he was stuck in Charlotte for the first four years of his career, P.J. Washington has never tasted playoff basketball. He did play two NBA Play-In Tournament games for the Hornets and here are his averages:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	FG%	3P%	FT%
P.J. Washington	12.5	6.5	1.5	0.5	2.0	0.0	50.0%	50.0%	0.0%

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Strengths and Weaknesses

P.J. Washington's main strength will be his scoring ability since he's one of the third options on offense for the Dallas Mavericks behind Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Washington will provide inside and outside scoring, and is very versatile on offense.

The Kentucky product can the big in the pick-and-roll with either Doncic or Irving. He can also score faceup or banging in the post. He can recognize mismatches and even attack closeouts when necessary.

Washington is also a solid defender who can guard smaller players and hold his own against bigger opposition. His main weakness is probably his shooting and he might be a streaky shooter at times.

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Impact, role and projected playoff minutes

P.J. Washington will likely be the starting power forward for the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs. Depending on how they match up with the LA Clippers, Washington can player center for a small ball lineup at times. He'll likely split minutes with Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and Maxi Kleber.

Washington will also be important on offense for the Mavs as a pick-and-roll big for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. He can also spread the floor, but he will need to knock down shots if he wants to affect the game. He can also defend the paint, which was highlighted in the Mavs' huge win over Golden State last week.

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