Trade & FA 2024-25:

[KillerLeft]

Great summary of why PJ/DJJ worked so well defensively. I've been penciling Jones in as the 2 and Luka as the 3 in all my lineups lately because of this. You can't just plug in a typical "starting SF" and get the same result.

I do have some doubt that Jerami Grant can fill that role though. I actually wanted him over PJ at the deadline because he's a legit 3rd option (and I didn't realize that PJ would be a game changer on defense). But what I remember reading from Portland fans is that many viewed Grant as purely a PF at this point in his career. They didn't want to call him a 3 because he wasn't quick enough. I guess the hope would be that it's more a lack of effort from the offensive burden he's carrying than a lack of footspeed.

I think this is all incredibly insightful and astute.

DISCLAIMER: What I am about to say would not be my preferred path to acquiring someone like Grant.

Having said that, after watching the Mavericks struggle on the offensive end the way that they did against Boston, I would consider the pros and cons of exchanging PJ Washington for Grant, should that opportunity present itself. 

To be clear, I am still a Washington believer, and I think that he will look much better on that side of the floor for the Mavericks next year than he did down the stretch of this year. What he was doing for this team defensively was very similar to the role he played in Charlotte, but on offense what they asked him to do was much different than what he had been doing leading up to the trade. A full training camp, and another year of development for a 25-year-old should yield some good results in this area, I would assume. 

But, Grant gets you there immediately. Overnight. You need someone to bring the ball up the way they wanted Washington to do at times in the playoffs? Grant has been doing that for four years. Well. You need someone to attack closeouts and put pressure on the rim, with the ability to play make for others? Grant. You need someone who is a reliable three point shooter from both corners, both wings, and above the break? Grant is your guy, and my hunch is that he will improve even more at this with the kind of shots he’d get here, playing next to Luka and Kyrie.

And, I think you would see him buckle down on defense, like Washington just did, due to being grateful for the opportunity to be on a real team again. That part is my hope, but I think it is a reasonable one, and if he does that he is a better defender than Washington. 

None of that should be interpreted as lack of confidence in Washington, because I am more than happy to leave his name written in ink at the 4 if that’s what they do. But, I am much more open to replacing him with someone like Grant than I am with the idea of John Collins, Tobias Harris, Kyle Kuzma, etc.

Long story short, a combination of Grant and Jones, defensively, might be even better than the combination of Washington and Jones, and I know it would be better offensively. My dream would be to have all three of them, but that’s probably not realistic.