P.J. Washington’s role in Dallas should begin with seven rebounds per game. That is a concrete contribution to preserve as the Mavericks try different frontcourt combinations.
The Mavericks have several possible groupings, and coach Dusty May highlighted Washington’s ability on Sept. 27 to attack favorable matchups inside or outside. The sensible response is not to attach another grand label to him. It is to make rebounding and physical matchup pressure the foundation, then let the surrounding personnel determine how much of the offense comes from the perimeter.
Washington averaged 7.0 rebounds in 31.0 minutes across 56 games during the completed 2025-26 regular season. His 1.5 offensive rebounds and 5.5 defensive rebounds show two different benefits: he can extend possessions at one end and help finish them at the other. Dallas should use that as the constant in his assignment.
When a smaller forward is matched against him, Washington ought to make the opponent deal with his size before drifting outside simply because the formation calls for spacing.
That recommendation does not require a post-up every time a favorable matchup appears. A seal, cut, interior catch or hard attack can all serve the same purpose. The point is to make his rebounding and inside presence part of the possession’s first calculation, rather than treating them as pleasant extras after a jumper fails to fall.
His three-point shooting makes the identity of his partner important. Washington shot 32.5% from three last season, making 1.4 per game on 4.2 attempts. That is enough to punish careless help and keep a defender from wandering without consequence.
It is not the sort of number that makes every frontcourt arrangement spacious by default. Dallas should welcome open attempts, but it should not build the entire geometry of a lineup on Washington being a dependable specialist.
Zaccharie Risacher, who joined Dallas from Atlanta in July, offers one pairing worth examining. He shot 36.8% from three for the Hawks in 2025-26, averaging 1.4 makes on 3.9 attempts. Alongside that shooting, Washington could spend more possessions screening, crashing the glass and attacking gaps.
The potential benefit is division of labor: a forward holding a defender outside while another works nearer the rim. It is a possibility for May to examine, with neither a starting partnership nor its success established by those percentages alone.
The distinction matters. A 36.8% shooter can offer a cleaner outlet than Washington’s 32.5% mark, but shooting alone does not guarantee driving lanes or solve every defensive matchup. The surrounding players would still determine whether Washington’s interior work creates space or simply crowds it.
His versatility at forward allows May to use different lineups, yet it cannot make every combination defend, rebound and shoot equally well.
