5 Dallas Mavericks players that will surprise everyone in 2024-25

3. P.J. Washington

P.J. Washington became a fan favorite for Dallas Mavericks fans when he stared down the LA Clippers bench in the first round of the NBA Playoffs last season and "stood on business."

One round later, Washington was a star for Dallas and helped them take down the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games. Washington was scorching from downtown, but his shooting came back to earth in the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals.

Going into next season, Washington is someone who will surprise everyone if he can consistently be a good 3-point shooter. Washington's shooting during the regular season was not great, and him taking a big jump in that area would pay big dividends for his scoring numbers.

Washington is going to benefit from the Klay Thompson signing because of how much attention off the ball he commands, and teams could elect to force Washington to beat them due to all of Dallas' other scoring options. If that's the case, he must knock down his open shots. It was reported earlier this offseason that the Mavs were looking to change up some things in his shot, and he was focused on improving his ball handling this summer.

Washington being a knockdown shooter would turn Dallas' offense from elite to lethal, and he would surprise everyone if he turns into a consistent scorer for the Mavs. Everyone knows what Washington brings on defense, but him making a big improvement as a shooter would be colossal for the offense.