Mavs Head Coach Jason Kidd 'Not Concerned with P.J. Washington's Shooting Struggles: 'Those Will Fall'

P.J. Washington has shown how valuable he can be for the Dallas Mavericks despite his 3-point shot not falling. Washington and Mavs head coach Jason Kidd both believe those shooting struggles won't last much longer.

With just 12 games remaining in the season,the Dallas Mavericks are rolling, having won seven of their last eight games as they prepare to start an important five-game road trip in Utah on Monday night.

Improved defense has been a big factor in the Mavs being able to string together several wins, and versatile forward P.J. Washington has arguably spearheaded that effort despite not yet shooting the 3-ball up to his standards. In 18 games as a Maverick, Washington is averaging 10.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 40 percent from the field and 25 percent from deep.

Before coming to Dallas in a trade-deadline deal in February, Washington was already having a down year shooting the ball from deep with the Charlotte Hornets, but even then, he was shooting more than seven percentage points better than he has with the Mavs at 32.4 percent. Perhaps playing harder defense or shooting more catch-and-shoot 3s has contributed to Washington's efficiency dropping, but regardless, both Washington and Mavs head coach Jason Kidd believe those shooting struggles won't last much longer.

"I've never shot like that in my career," Washington said after Sunday's practice. "I've seen so many in-and-outs here, so like I said, I've been in here each and every day working, so for me, I'm not concernced at all. Just keep shooting the open ones, and they'll fall. I'm not worried about it all."

Given that the Mavs have found a way to win games even with Washington struggling with his 3-point shot, one has to wonder just how dangerous Dallas can really be once he finds his stroke again. Washington has done an excellent job of guarding each opponent's best player, and his defensive impact has been much greater than his lack of 3-point shots made.

"We're not concerned," Kidd said when asked about Washington's shooting. "We like the shots that he's getting. He's getting a lot of in-and-outs, so we believe as a shooter, those will fall for you. He's continued to come into the gym and work. His ability to get out on the break – Luka likes to throw the ball ahead to him. We like his decision-making and ability to get into the paint and finish with his short game. So there's no concern. We're happy right where he's at."

During his five seasons in Charlotte, Washington shot 35.9 percent from deep, so at a certain point, you have to think there will be some regression to the mean in his favor. Hopefully for the Mavs, who are hoping to avoid the Play-In Tournament, Washington will start to see some more shots fall during this important five-game road trip that begins against the Utah Jazz on Monday night.