Dallas Mavericks role players Josh Green, PJ Washington Jr., and Daniel Gafford have stepped up alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Newcomers PJ Washington Jr. and Daniel Gafford have impressed since joining the Mavs. Josh Green’s strong performance cannot go overlooked either.
Josh Green’s three-point shooting prowess
Green has quietly become one of the better three-point shooters in the league. He has been able to consistently knock down his shot attempts throughout the 2023-24 season.
Green is shooting a career-high 41.8 percent from three-point range. He addressed his improvement from long-range after practice Saturday.
“I think, just you know, reps,” Green said of what’s fueling his impressive performance from beyond the arc. “Shooting as much as I can, trying to keep the same form. Learning from my misses. Most of the time when I’m missing I’m falling out of my shot so being able to watch that. But just staying confident and at the end of the day you got two of the best playmakers in the league being able to find you in Luka (Doncic) and Kyrie (Irving). So that definitely helps.”
Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington Jr. helping Mavericks on and off the floor
Washington and Green have received praise since being traded to Dallas before the deadline. Gafford certainly brings talent on the floor, but his energy has been important for the Mavs as well.
“We talked about that publicly, we talked about it internally when you talk about Gafford’s energy,” Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said. “He wants to win, he wants to help the team. It’s not about starting, it’s not about coming off of the bench. He just wants to play his role to help this team win. That’s what we need right now.”
Kidd also commented on Washington’s positive attitude and what it means for the Mavericks.
“I think when you look at just his attitude. He wants to win. You think of his defensive ability, his ability to put the ball on the floor and make plays. He’s a basketball player, he plays both ends and that’s what we need. He’s doing that at a high level.”
Mavs looking to keep winning streak alive
The Mavericks, as mentioned earlier, have won seven games in a row. It will be intriguing to see if Dallas can continue their impressive brand of play on the road.
Dallas will travel to Indiana to play the Pacers on Sunday. They will then head to Cleveland, Toronto, and Boston before returning home to host the 76ers next Sunday.
The upcoming road trip will prove to be a test for the Mavericks. They are beginning to receive more attention from around the league amid their hot stretch, so teams will be aiming to take them down. Right now, however, Dallas looks like one of the best teams in the NBA.
Luka and Kyrie are going to continue to perform at a high level. Dereck Lively II and Tim Hardaway Jr.’s performances will be important moving forward as well. And if Josh Green, PJ Washington Jr., and Daniel Gafford can continue playing well, Dallas should be able to maintain their consistency.