Mavericks' biggest playoff nightmare was brutally exposed two months early

The Dallas Mavericks are at the point of the season in which every single game matters, as fans' eyes are glued to the NBA standings to monitor movement of teams in the West and figure out what Dallas needs to do to climb.

As of this morning, Dallas is the No. 9 team in the West with a 32-28 record and they are just half a game back from the LA Clippers who currently hold the No. 6 seed. The Mavericks must do whatever they can to avoid the Play-In Tournament, as the nature of those games is unpredictable and everything is at stake, and they can do just that if they get healthy in time.

Dallas' frontcourt has been the main issue recently, with Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II all being out until at least March 6 when they get reevaluated, and even P.J. Washington has battled an injury recently (which has been fairly rare over his tenure in Dallas).

Washington sprained his right ankle against the Houston Rockets on February 8, and while he returned for three games recently, he is now out again with the same injury and Jason Kidd seems concerned about it. He is listed as questionable for tonight's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, which is a concern to begin with considering the Bucks' size, and the injury hasn't been the only concern with his game as of late.

Mavericks' playoff fate hinges on Washington avoiding this nightmare

Earlier this week, Washington had his worst game of the season in which he scored zero points while shooting 0-9 from the field, and while he pulled 10 rebounds and blocked four shots, his offensive game was completely nonexistent. He missed both of his 3-point attempts and all of his other attempts including some shots he usually hits at the rim, and it showed everyone just how valuable he is and how badly Dallas needs him to produce offensively.

While his zero-point game was a wild anomaly, it also exposed how fragile Dallas' offense can be when he isn't effective, and they can't afford that in the postseason.

This type of game from Washington gave fans a glimpse into how badly they need his offensive production and growing self shot creation, and his role will only be amplified moving forward. The offense collapses when Washington isn't effective, and this could be something that dooms their postseason if he has quiet outings consistently.

Ever since Dallas traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, their offense hasn't been the same and their shot creation has taken a major dip, especially with Quentin Grimes gone as well. This puts a bigger offensive burden on every player's back, and that includes Washington.

Washington has shown tons of growth recently as a shooter and finisher around the bucket, and his impact on the Mavericks is invaluable. No one on the team can play the role that he does, and that's why he will be one of Dallas' biggest x-factors for the final stretch of the season and into the playoffs.

His defense is too good to keep him off the floor, and he does all of the little things that you need out of a role player. He never shies away from big moments, and we saw just how bad things can get for Dallas when he struggles offensively. They are so limited offensively right now, and if any of their top guys has a poor game, it typically doesn't end well.

Bad offensive games are not normal for Washington, as he is playing with elite confidence and power right now, and his performance is going to be under a microscope until Davis returns. His offensive burden will remain heavy, and this increased role will get him prepared for the postseason.

Washington's performance in the playoffs last season was strong, and the Mavs will need more of the same from him this season if they want to make a deep run. Things could go haywire down the stretch if offensive struggles from Washington become typical, but no signs are pointing to that being the case.