Saturday afternoon was sort of like Christmas in February for the Mavericks.
They got to unwrap their new toys.
In this case, the presents were big men P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford who made their Mavericks’ debuts in a resounding 146-111 victory over Oklahoma City at American Airlines Center.
The two players acquired at Thursday’s trade deadline had an immediate impact. They received a loud ovation when they entered the game together with 5:23 remaining in the first quarter.
By the end of that period, the Mavericks had a 47-30 lead and were on their way to one of their best wins of the season.
Gafford made a huge first impression with 19 points and nine rebounds. He ingratiated himself with the sellout crowd with a few hard-nosed offensive rebounds when the Mavericks were stashing away the game.
Washington had 14 points, five rebounds and the Mavericks were a whopping plus-24 when he was on the floor.
That made it a successful homecoming of sorts for Washington, the 6-7 center/forward who spent most of his childhood growing up in Richardson.
“I got here in first grade and then left my sophomore year in high school,” Washington said Saturday morning before taking the court against the Thunder. “Growing up (in club basketball) one of my team sponsors had season tickets right next to the ManiAACs. We used to come to all the home games. I loved it.
“I feel like it’s all come full circle for me. Obviously, growing up here as a kid, I’ve always wanted to play here. Being here has been a dream come true. And I’m excited to live out this opportunity.”
With all due respect to Charlotte and Washington, where Washington and Gafford came from, respectively, arriving in Dallas sort of felt like a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Both the Hornets and Wizards are hopelessly out of the playoff picture this season.
The Mavericks, most decidedly, are in the thick of the playoff conversation.
“It’s exciting. It’s everything you want as a player in the NBA to be on a team that’s trying to contend and win,” Washington said. “I can’t wait to get started.”
Said Gafford: “It’s taking the next step in the right direction. You go from a team where we weren’t in a position (to contend) to where we are now. It’s like the start of another season for us.”
On their first possession as Mavericks, the newcomers lit up the crowd as Luka Dončić pitched a lob pass toward the rim that Gafford found and stuffed home.
It was the beginning of what the Mavericks hope will be a perfect match of point guards and big men as Dončić and Kyrie Irving figure to spend a lot of time finding Gafford and Washington for points in the paint or, in Washington’s case, three-pointers.
The Mavericks have two more games before the All-Star break to work on things like timing and chemistry, but the unveiling on Saturday was a great start.
“We’re super excited,” said president of basketball operations and general manager Nico Harrison at the introductory news conference. “We came in with three goals (at the trade deadline) and we feel like we accomplished them. We wanted to get bigger, get more depth and we also wanted to get some more scoring in the front court. These gentlemen represent all of that. We think we accomplished our goals and the team is better because of that.”
It’s the third season in a row when Harrison has been wheeling and dealing at the deadline. He dealt Kristaps Porzingis in 2022 for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. Last season, it was the Kyrie Irving deal. And now, it’s Gafford and Washington.
As for the fine line between trying to upgrade the roster but not sacrificing some semblance of continuity, Harrison said: “I believe our core is still intact. We just added more talent and depth to the core. You do want to keep a core intact so you build upon it versus turnover, turnover, turnover. We just added pieces that can add to it and make us better.”
Washington said getting the news that he was being traded happened when he was at a Charlotte restaurant.
“I was at a restaurant, me and my wife and she asked me a question: What would you do if you got traded to the Mavs right now?” Washington said. “And it literally was not three minutes later I had gotten traded to the Mavs.”
So how did he respond to his wife’s question?
“I told her I was going to run out of the restaurant,” he said. “And then I ended up doing it. I literally jumped out of the restaurant and ran to the car.”
Gafford said he actually was on the way to the Wizards’ training facility for an off day of film and treatment. He ended up saying his goodbyes, although he will see the Wizards on Monday at AAC when they make their only appearance of the season here.
On Saturday, both players could not have had a better hello to the Mavericks and their fans.
And playing with Luka was a treat for both of them.
“Playing with a guy like that is going to be great for our games,” Washington said. “It’s going to showcase us a lot more, being on a bright stage and playing with a guy like that, he’s an MVP in this league for sure. I think he’s just a great player and being alongside him is going to be great.”
Gafford, as more of a traditional big man, said his role will be a little different with Luka and Kyrie Irving.
“They bring a lot of attention and just them getting downhill is something that’s going to be good for me because all I got to do is find the right spot at the right time, be in the right position where I can either get a rebound or I can catch a lob,” Gafford said. “Being with two guys like that – Kyrie was my favorite point guard growing up in high school – so I’m really excited playing with both of these guys.
Said Washington: “I think it’s going to be great, they bring so much attention, there’s going to be a lot of open shots. It’s going to be great for me to be myself.”
Though neither Gafford nor Washington started on Saturday, coach Jason Kidd wouldn’t rule out that possibility. And, in fact, he said it’s likely that Washington will be in the starting lineup sooner than later.
“We will integrate them in positions we see them in going forward,” Kidd said. “Now that doesn’t mean they’re not going to start ever. P.J. probably will have the opportunity to start before the break. If we’re not healthy, Gafford definitely will have a chance to start before the break.
“If we’re healthy, he might not get a chance to start. But also we might start those two at some point just to see how they handle that situation. We’ll see. We’ll figure something out.”
No matter what, the vibe at AAC on Saturday was such that it felt like there was a new optimism in the building.
And it’s the same in the locker room.
“There’s a lot of excitement,” Kidd said. “Anytime there’s change, there’s excitement. Now we get to see them (today) and Monday and Wednesday. So in that locker room, there’s a lot of excitement.”
Briefly: The Mavericks had everybody available Saturday except Dereck Lively II (nasal surgery) and Dante Exum (knee). Kidd said he should know more about Lively’s progress soon. “He’s going to have a workout today,” he said before Saturday’s game. “I think I’ll have a better answer tomorrow or Monday, but he’s progressing. We’ll see how he feels after his workout.” . . . Kidd emphasized that the Mavericks will not forget about Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell, who have been manning the center position in Lively’s absence. “Wight Gafford, D-Live, Maxi, DP, we have a lot of talent there,” Kidd said of his center and power forward slots. “And the ability to go small if we want – call P.J. a small five.”
X: @ESefko
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