The Dallas Mavericks' supporting cast has been stellar
Since Luka Doncic has arrived in Dallas the front office has been searching for players they can surround him with that complements his style of play. I believe they finally have that supporting cast they wanted as the Mavs have been excelling as of late.
With Doncic and Irving running the show, the supporting cast compliments the 2 stars perfectly. The way head coach Jason Kidd does things may seem a bit unconventional but everyone on the team understands their role. The trade for Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington was a genius move by general manager Nico Harrison as he was able to acquire 2 good players on underachieving teams with enormous potential.
Gafford and Washington appear to be happy to be in Dallas now that they will have the opportunity to play for something. Gafford has fit in seamlessly on both ends of the floor as Doncic has been making him look good on the offensive end. His energy and ability to protect the paint have made the Mavs one of the most dangerous teams in the West.
Now, with 2 legit playmakers who can set him up for success, we can expect Gafford to be highly motivated as the Mavs have found numerous ways to utilize him. He dunks almost everything he touches, he can run the floor well for a big man, he's mobile, athletic, and seems to be content in his role and comfortable with his skill set. The Wizards staff could've done a better job when it came to Gafford's development but now that he's on a different team that is willing to utilize his strengths and talent, we could be seeing a completely different player.
The acquisition of Gafford should be good for Mavs rookie Derek Lively as he could serve as a mentor. The two have similar styles of play and both could help each other improve. Lobs and putbacks are the sources of most of his points and with a playmaker like Doncic, Lively will continue to get looks for easy baskets. Just to give an idea of the effect that Doncic has had on his 2 big men, Lively and Gafford are currently first and second respectively in effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage with both players over 70 percent in both categories.
Tim Hardaway Jr. has also been a key player and has excelled in his 6th man role. He has become a player the Mavs can depend on when the stars go to the bench. Hardaway Jr. can get hot in an instant and his name should be mentioned among the 6th Man of the Year candidates.