Mavericks coach Jason Kidd reveals intriguing future role for P.J. Washington

The Dallas Mavericks were able to get back on track on Wednesday night versus the Toronto Raptors, as the Mavericks grabbed a 136-125 win on the road. This came after Dallas suffered a debilitatingly close loss to the Cavaliers on Tuesday night, as Max Strus hit a miraculous half-court shot to win the game for Cleveland.

It was extremely important for the Mavericks to take care of business against Toronto when you take into consideration they have one of their toughest games of the season coming up against Boston on the tail end of this four-game Eastern Conference road trip.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd reveals intriguing future role for P.J. Washington

One of the more intriguing developments from the game against Toronto was the diversification of scoring in the box score, as the Mavericks suffered from a lack of role players stepping up offensively in their recent losses to Indiana and Cleveland. The Mavericks had three other role players besides Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving score in double figures or higher against Toronto, and the most impactful of them was easily P.J. Washington, as the newly-acquired wing finished with 23 points, six rebounds, and three blocks whilst shooting 9-16 from the floor.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was clearly very happy to see Washington's improved shooting from distance and confidence attacking in one-on-one scenarios in the victory against Toronto after Washington's recent struggles on offense, as he spoke very glowingly of him in his post-game presser.

"It would make it a lot easier if we have a third scorer. I think P.J. is trending that way."

- Jason Kidd

Washington's improvement toward being the distinguished third option in Dallas from an offensive perspective is great to see, and it's clear he hasn't gotten close to his full potential on that end either when you take into consideration how the Mavericks can still employ him in more cutting actions and scenarios where he can get the ball on the move.

Washington played great defensively against Toronto both on and off ball as well, so it's great to see that a higher volume on offense didn't hinder his effort or capabilities on the other end whatsoever, as Washington's ability to guard the opposing team's best wings as well as the point of attack has been critical for Dallas since they acquired him.

Hopefully, Washington can fulfill Kidd's prophecy of being the third option in Dallas at some point given he's only 25 years old, as he's already trending toward being one of Dallas' best role players as the playoffs quickly approach.

For more on P.J. Washington and the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the playoffs, stay tuned as we'll have you covered.