5 Obvious, 5 subtle moves Jason Kidd must make to turn Mavs into legit contenders

2. Obvious: Make sure that P.J. Washington closes the game on a nightly basis

The Dallas Mavericks' trade for P.J. Washington was a move that tremendously helped the Mavs on both ends of the floor, and he has had a solid start so far with the team. Washington is averaging 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 29.7 percent from the field.

Washington is Dallas' best defender and is becoming a consistent 3-point shooter, making him an indispensable piece for this team. Due to his value on both ends of the floor, he needs to be in Jason Kidd's closing lineup every night. He's too valuable to be on the bench, and he wasn't in Dallas' closing lineup against the Miami Heat.

There aren't many scenarios when Maxi Kleber should be in the closing lineup over Washington, and he needs to be utilized at the end of games. Washington can play defense, rebound, and shoot just as good as Kleber, and his intensity on defense is made for the clutch.

Washington is always locked in on that end of the floor, and his versatility and ability to stay with quicker wings is much better than Kleber's.

Kleber closing the game against Miami could have been due to Washington's shooting struggles in that game, but Washington should be the closer moving forward.