The Calvary Has Arrived for the Dallas Mavericks

Don't look now, but Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington have quietly turned Dallas into a defensive stalwart -- and maybe a true contender, too

The Mavericks may have put themselves on a path of draft destruction with their recent acquisitions of former Wizard Daniel Gafford and previous Hornet PJ Washington. However, they may have also put themselves on a path to a championship.

After the trade deadline a couple of weeks back, I graded the Mavericks’ acquisitions of the two previously mentioned fellows as a B/A (for each trade) in the short term, but even that might have been an underestimation.

Since the arrival of Gafford and Washington, the Mavericks have suddenly thrust themselves into the elite defense conversation while simultaneously improving their offensive potency. Is it enough to win it all this year? That’s up in the air, but let’s take a look at how they got here.