Mavericks PJ Washington Full Media Interview on Improving Three-Point Shot, Defense, Role | 03/24/24

Mavericks PJ Washington Full Media Interview on Improving Three-Point Shot, Defense, Role | 03/24/24

Uh so you know after you got traded here you said you look forward to being part of a playoff run stretch run as you guys get ready for this trip what do you think uh the mindset of the limit is of the team uh just take one game at a time

Uh obviously we know how serious each and every game is so for us it’s just one step at a time uh one day at a time and obviously one game at a time so we can’t really look too far ahead uh we just have to handle the task ahead and I

Feel like we’re doing fine and we’re we’re uh in good expence did you guys have many 11-day trips in Charlotte it seem like a long one uh I think we had one earlier in this season but it’s all good it’s part of it we were we were talking to to Jason

About you know how this team is winning games in a different way a lot of it is because of the trade and and when you got here so I know you weren’t around for the first part but obviously there’s more points in the paint fewer catch and shoot threes more offensive rebounds all

This stuff do you do you have a sense you know even even though you showed up and you are part of the reason this change has happened do you have a sense that that you know just from the locker room or or anything that this team really is playing kind of

Differently um I remember playing these guys earlier the season and it was a lot different uh just the way they play so obviously now I mean it’s a lot more defense we’re a lot better on the defensive end and uh we’re a lot better

In the paint so um for us I think it’s just um being consistent and staying doing the easy things and U I feel like we’ll win each and every night once we do those things and and then Jason talked about your your three-point shots

That you know a lot of in and outs run outs you know a lot of confidence that that it’s going to come along where where are you at or or you know trying to kind of assess you know and and just get these shots to fall well I mean I’ve

Never shot like that in my career so I’ve seen so many In-N-Outs here so like I said I mean I’ve been here each and every day working so for me I’m not concerned at all um just keep shooting open WIS and uh they’ll fall I’m not

Worried about it at all what would you say your points of emphasis are as you’re working because to a lay man your sh looks great uh for me just working on footwork um every every time I catch I want to get into a one two and I just be

Ready to fire um and if I’m not doing that I really don’t count my shots so uh just my main focus is footwork for mej is is it is it different like how much different do the catch and shoots feel to the the pull-ups I think the numbers you like you shoot actually

Better on on pull-ups after a dribble and stuff like that uh well for me I mean I think the last couple years of my career I really shot a lot of corner threes so um just getting used to shooting those again and uh I shot a lot above the breakthroughs in Charlotte so

Just trying to you know I mean just figure my role out in different areas that’s all it is PJ recently have kind of dove into your defensive matchup stats specifically with Lori and Wy what was going so right you held them to like a crazy one for 14 when you’re matched

Up against them what was going right for you defensively against those two uh for me I just try to use my strengths uh I’m very strong so I try to uh body the guys and get get them out of their position uh and try to make everybody take tough

Contested shots uh every time somebody shoots I try to get a hand up and uh for me I think that’s that’s imminent uh and uh stopping guys and holding them to obviously bad games so for me just being there on every shot and making them making it tough for everybody yeah what

Does it mean to you that your brand new here and Jason kid is already assigning you with PJ you’re going to go take the best player on the floor uh that’s what I want to do for me it’s it’s another day of work honestly so just come out

Here and uh just trying to get better how would you evaluate your process in terms of learning your role and being able to get more comfortable with that nine in and nine out where you are with your game at this point uh obviously offensively I can be a lot better for uh

Obviously making shots and uh just being into my game for that side of the ball defensively I feel like I’ve been doing great uh obviously I can be better uh off the ball I feel like I I had lapses and guys back door back door cutting me

So I can get better at that but on the ball I feel like uh I’ve done really good and obviously uh I love playing against the best guys us night so has there been a mindset change obviously coming from Charlotte to here in terms of a different situation and how have

You been able to grow and develop in terms of that mindset here now um I wouldn’t say such a mindset change for me it’s always to just go out there and do the best I can and just be aggressive uh on both sides of the ball so not necessarily mindset it’s just obviously

New guys new team new scenery so uh just different roles you have any uh more your impressions from your the maps ball your first kind of team I had a lot of fun uh it was it was definitely fun um definitely a cool interacting with different people uh my wife had a good

Time as well so uh wish we had another one so ke wife has a good time no yeah that’s great I love it have you done an event like that previously uh we had them in in charlot but it it wasn’t anything like that though so yeah that was new

For me and how’s how’s it mentally just you know adjusting to a new new team on the run in you know in a playoff type mindset every single game you know what what’s the mentality that you have to have um just go out there and uh every

Game matters uh for me it’s it’s not as hard as uh I as people think cuz I’ve been playing basketball my whole life so for me it’s just another basketball game uh I just have to go out there and uh just be aggressive on both ends of the

Floor and uh just do my job um so I don’t really put too much pressure on myself I just try to go out there and have as much as fun as possible and do making do coming back home make it a lot smoother yeah it’s it’s definitely a lot

Smoother uh I know a lot of people out here know a lot of food places so uh it’s great for me my wife’s not really uh not really too used to it yet though so once she get used to it everything will be all right where’s the first food

Play you went um I went to kitchen and Cocktails I went to well I took my wife to a bunch of different places that I can’t think of right now so Ki and cocktail is a good one though no yeah for sure U PJ I want to ask obviously

You’re familiar with Dallas I want to ask about just the fans how they’ve embraced you and everything so far I love it I mean everybody’s been positive and kind to me uh every time I see somebody in public they’re always asking for autographic picture and I just love

Uh giving back and just being there for community so for me it’s just great uh being home and uh obviously being with a exciting MAV uh Mavs fan base PJ primarily we’ve seen you at the four but there have been some lineups where kid will throw you in at the three what what

Does it does anything change when you’re moving from the three to the four when Dallas is going big or if they’re going small uh for me not necessarily I feel like uh pretty much the roles are kind of the same uh it’s just guarding different people and obviously I’m

Comfortable doing that so on offensive end it’s just I’m in a different spot but I mean it’s fine do you feel more comfortable one way or the other as long I’m out as long as I’m out there I’m good so no matter to me do you feel more

Comfortable you know so so in Charlotte obviously offensively a lot of times you’re leading second units and and you knew to go get your shot I’m sure coming to Dallas you know and in you know the Luca and Kyrie offense you know there was some you know just figuring out

Where to find those shots are you feeling more comfortable where the you know the moments that you go seek seek them out yeah I mean obviously U it was tough at first but I me I feel like I kind of got a idea of where I’m going to

Be at so for me just trying to find those spots and be the best I can in those positions obviously I mean I came in late in the season so it’s not going to be a lot of a lot of uh open shots so for me just trying to get to my

Positions and uh just know where I’m supposed to be out there so I’ve been doing good so far appreciate it

#dallasmavericks #lukadoncic #kyrieirving #pjwashington

Mavericks P.J. Washington full media interview from 03/24/24 as Washington addresses improving on his three-point shooting, assessing and evaluating his own game on defense and offense, how Mavericks fans have embraced him and the team confidence level as they get ready for their 5-game road trip, plus his thoughts on Mavericks improvements and expectations down the stretch of the season.

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