The Landlord, Go-Go Gadget Gafford. Official Daniel Gafford Thread

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

At this point I wouldn’t mind seeing Porzingis miss 3 straight games. The Wizards are going to lose, regardless.

Gafford needs to play more minutes.

Bump thread.

Got my wish in only 5 days.

No Porzingis. Gafford plays JUST 25 minutes. 11/8/3 with one steal and 3 blocks, +1.

Unseld is a freaking buffoon. He’s a hater. I’ll rejoice the day he’s fired but THE GREAT NEWS IS he’s coaching towards Wembanyana.

I just hate to see a player OPPRESSED and his career forestalled by a dolt.

Free Gafford

Trade the dude.

https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Daniel-Gafford/Summary/97090

Contact him or his agent and tell him to bet on HIMSELF. He will play 8-12 minutes more per game and get at least 4 or 5 additional FGAs elsewhere. He will be on ESPN Sports Center elsewhere.

Gafford should ASK FOR A TRADE TO ATLANTA or DETROIT or HOUSTON or the obvious…

Brooklyn or LA Lakers

This kid is special and the coach is a nepotism hire.

[gambitx777]

At this point I wouldn’t mind seeing Porzingis miss 3 straight games. The Wizards are going to lose, regardless.

Gafford needs to play more minutes.

Bump thread.

Got my wish in only 5 days.

No Porzingis. Gafford plays JUST 25 minutes. 11/8/3 with one steal and 3 blocks, +1.

Unseld is a freaking buffoon. He’s a hater. I’ll rejoice the day he’s fired but THE GREAT NEWS IS he’s coaching towards Wembanyana.

I just hate to see a player OPPRESSED and his career forestalled by a dolt.

Free Gafford

Trade the dude.

https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Daniel-Gafford/Summary/97090

Contact him or his agent and tell him to bet on HIMSELF. He will play 8-12 minutes more per game and get at least 4 or 5 additional FGAs elsewhere. He will be on ESPN Sports Center elsewhere.

Gafford should ASK FOR A TRADE TO ATLANTA or DETROIT or HOUSTON or the obvious…

Brooklyn or LA Lakers

This kid is special and the coach is a nepotism hire.

Gafford has his issues. He has a small gas tank and something just never felt all that right with Gafford to me. But I agree trade him but he's on a poison pill so the only real options are cap room teams or teams with TPEs big enough to soak the PP.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Has his issues…
Small gas tank…

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gaffoda01.html

My biases/subjective:

1. I remember Javale when he was waived by Philadelphia. I recall him languishing in Denver. AND DURING THOSE DOWNTRODDEN YEARS I just looked at OBJECTIVE DATA. My opinion of McGee was ALWAYS that he’s going to be a better player in his thirties and he’s great at a few things. He’s going to help a good team.

Back when nate33 didn’t care for Javale. Said similar things about Portis. JUST LIKE “ISSUES” and SMALL GAS TANK”

Subjective

I RESPECT THE TRUTH. You know what you’ve seen.

But these opinions are subjective.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gaffoda01.html

What did Gafford do the play in season? What was he doing when Westbrook balled out?

What changed last season and this season so far?

HINT: PORZINGIS ACQUISITION

WES UNSELD JR is a simpleton IMO to not see the efficacy of playing big and big together

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gaffoda01.html

Posted that link three times. Gafford on a per-36 basis Is AVERAGING CAREER NUMBERS OR BETTER on virtually everything.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Way back when the simple minded approach led Wizards to trade Ben Wallace in a deal that brought Ike Austin I knew that was flat wrong. Dumb. Stupid. Subjective.

Minutes and shots inflated contract year Ike Austin to trend up. Ben Wallace was always behind a marquee name forward. IIRC he was behind Webber or Howard or Rasheed…HOWEVER,BIG BEN WAS A VORACIOUS REBOUNDER and shot blocker whenever he played. Which was seldom because of big contract “stars”.

Just like Gafford can’t play ANY of Porzingis’s minutes.

But the dead giveaway is TODAY when old assed Taj Gibson starts and finishes ahead of Gafford.

Coach WUJ sees issues or small gas tank.

I’m watching game after game of a guy who gets NIGHTLY DOUBLE DOUBLES with dunks, blocks, effort good and bad at JUST 24 years old.

Gafford is not the problem.

Wes Unseld Jr. is not a good coach. He’s got blinders.

[nate33]

At this point I wouldn’t mind seeing Porzingis miss 3 straight games. The Wizards are going to lose, regardless.

Gafford needs to play more minutes.

Bump thread.

Got my wish in only 5 days.

No Porzingis. Gafford plays JUST 25 minutes. 11/8/3 with one steal and 3 blocks, +1.

Unseld is a freaking buffoon. He’s a hater. I’ll rejoice the day he’s fired but THE GREAT NEWS IS he’s coaching towards Wembanyana.

I just hate to see a player OPPRESSED and his career forestalled by a dolt.

Free Gafford

Trade the dude.

https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Daniel-Gafford/Summary/97090

Contact him or his agent and tell him to bet on HIMSELF. He will play 8-12 minutes more per game and get at least 4 or 5 additional FGAs elsewhere. He will be on ESPN Sports Center elsewhere.

Gafford should ASK FOR A TRADE TO ATLANTA or DETROIT or HOUSTON or the obvious…

Brooklyn or LA Lakers

This kid is special and the coach is a nepotism hire.

I think Gafford played about as many minutes as he could handle as a guy coming off the bench. It's hard to play much more than 26-28 minutes coming off the bench because you typically only get one stint per half and most guys, particularly bigs, can't play more than 12-14 consecutive minutes. And Gafford isn't really known for his endurance.

If Wes made a mistake, it was starting Gibson. I'm sure he was trying to keep some measure of continuity in his rotations, but it's not like the 2nd unit has been some sort of juggernaut lately. Why maintain continuity in a rotation that isn't working?

If Gafford started, he probably could have played 32 minutes or so.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I think you are totally wrong about Gafford.

I think you know cap and a lot of things but you don’t know what I know.

Many times in the past I’ve been right AND I’ve known I’ve been RIGHT, we’ve argued about it .,, so I’m not mad at you.

Just me being sort of hypomanic

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Gafford should’ve played at least 30 minutes yesterday.

Why not let the guy Foul Out or totally exhausted and sell when it’s not hurting the team?

[AFM]

BIG GAFF!!!! NOT PLAYING HIM….THATS A BIG GAFFE!!! #BARS

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Been saying this…

AFM.

[FAH1223]

Watch on YouTube

Read on Twitter

[TGW]

Gafford has been Sheppards best acquisition as GM, imo.

[nate33]

Gafford has been Sheppards best acquisition as GM, imo.

His offensive numbers haven't changed that much, but it's worth noting that he has picked up his shot frequency and shot efficiency from the 3-10 foot range (rather than everything coming exclusively at the rim). I think that's a reflection of his improved post game. He is scoring with his back to the basket a bit more than in previous years, when he mostly just dunked off of pick-and-rolls and offensive rebounds.

I feel like Gafford's defense has been considerably improved over the last 10-15 games or so. Despite the shot blocking, he has always been a pretty mediocre defender overall. But I think his rotations have improved lately.

For a while there, I was worried that we would regret that $12M/year contract extension, but now it looks like he will earn that money. It's real helpful that Wes is now playing him about 10 minutes a game alongside Porzingis. It was such a waste to give Gafford only 16-18 minutes a night when he can play 26-28.

[pancakes3]

Gafford's issues, imo, in order, are:
- foul rate
- limited offensively (no range, bad FT shooter, below average passer, good in pnr but not other block-setting situations)
- corollary - disappears on offense if not initiated with pnr
- average/below-average defensive rebounder (great offensive rebounder)

which is not to say he's a bad player, just that he's only useful in specific situations.

[doclinkin]

Gafford's issues, imo, in order, are:
- foul rate
- limited offensively (no range, bad FT shooter, below average passer, good in pnr but not other block-setting situations)
- corollary - disappears on offense if not initiated with pnr
- average/below-average defensive rebounder (great offensive rebounder)

which is not to say he's a bad player, just that he's only useful in specific situations.

Jumpy on screens and picks. Doesn't set his feet, or a wide base. Sets weak picks. Anticipates the roll and moves early, earning moving screen violations a few times a game.

[dckingsfan]

Gafford has been Sheppards best acquisition as GM, imo.

His offensive numbers haven't changed that much, but it's worth noting that he has picked up his shot frequency and shot efficiency from the 3-10 foot range (rather than everything coming exclusively at the rim). I think that's a reflection of his improved post game. He is scoring with his back to the basket a bit more than in previous years, when he mostly just dunked off of pick-and-rolls and offensive rebounds.

I feel like Gafford's defense has been considerably improved over the last 10-15 games or so. Despite the shot blocking, he has always been a pretty mediocre defender overall. But I think his rotations have improved lately.

For a while there, I was worried that we would regret that $12M/year contract extension, but now it looks like he will earn that money. It's real helpful that Wes is now playing him about 10 minutes a game alongside Porzingis. It was such a waste to give Gafford only 16-18 minutes a night when he can play 26-28.

Yep, and now that it is clear that he can play well with Porzingis it makes him even more valuable. And he is still very young.

As others have noted, if he can set better screens and begin to have a midrange game (something in the 10-15 foot range) his value would increase even more. I still very much like the trade and signing.

[FAH1223]

Read on Twitter

[keynote]

How can Gafford improve his stability and balance. If seems like his overall conditioning has improved, but he's constantly being knocked to the floor, and it's not as if he's that skinny. Is it a lack of core strength? Weak feet/toes? Poor equilibrium? Does he need to get on the Gianni's deadlift program, or is he better off standing on one foot, balancing on a bosu ball?

[doclinkin]

Gafford plays upright and on his toes. It is why he is quick on the jump and 2nd jump. But it means he doesn't set into a stance or play with a wide base to box out or cut off lanes with his body. It gives him a high center of gravity and makes him vulnerable to fouls for moving screens because if he is bumped he shuffles his feet and it looks like he is the one in motion not the defender.

Yes he could get stronger legs, and better footwork, especially laterally, in carioca drills and lateral slide speed. Things Deni does well that help him defend bigger than his average wingspan/reach would suggest. He's 24 though, with limited reps despite his 4 years in the game. Some of those Big Man skills develop with experience and even with the loss of some top end athleticism.

Some players never figure it out though. I expect that is some part of why JaVale has bounced around so much. He jumps and reaches, and never figured out how to anticipate plays and get ahead of them, use his length to occupy space and cut off angles.

[GoneShammGone]

Gafford plays upright and on his toes. It is why he is quick on the jump and 2nd jump. But it means he doesn't set into a stance or play with a wide base to box out or cut off lanes with his body. It gives him a high center of gravity and makes him vulnerable to fouls for moving screens because if he is bumped he shuffles his feet and it looks like he is the one in motion not the defender.

Yes he could get stronger legs, and better footwork, especially laterally, in carioca drills and lateral slide speed. Things Deni does well that help him defend bigger than his average wingspan/reach would suggest. He's 24 though, with limited reps despite his 4 years in the game. Some of those Big Man skills develop with experience and even with the loss of some top end athleticism.

Some players never figure it out though. I expect that is some part of why JaVale has bounced around so much. He jumps and reaches, and never figured out how to anticipate plays and get ahead of them, use his length to occupy space and cut off angles.

Agree with all this, but also wanted to point out what a nice job he did on that game winner. He got low, widened out his base, and basically erased Ivy (I think it was Ivy?) from the play in order to get that offensive board. So much so that Ivy was whining afterward about being pushed. Of course Ivy is not a big, but it was nice to see Gaff use some "Big Man" technique to his advantage.

I'm optimistic. I think Gaff is willing to learn and is showing improvement.

[keynote]

Gafford plays upright and on his toes. It is why he is quick on the jump and 2nd jump. But it means he doesn't set into a stance or play with a wide base to box out or cut off lanes with his body. It gives him a high center of gravity and makes him vulnerable to fouls for moving screens because if he is bumped he shuffles his feet and it looks like he is the one in motion not the defender.

Yes he could get stronger legs, and better footwork, especially laterally, in carioca drills and lateral slide speed. Things Deni does well that help him defend bigger than his average wingspan/reach would suggest. He's 24 though, with limited reps despite his 4 years in the game. Some of those Big Man skills develop with experience and even with the loss of some top end athleticism.

Some players never figure it out though. I expect that is some part of why JaVale has bounced around so much. He jumps and reaches, and never figured out how to anticipate plays and get ahead of them, use his length to occupy space and cut off angles.

I hear you on all of those things. While I'm certainly concerned about his tendency to pick up cheap fouls, that's not uncommon for young bigs. But I can't think of another big that I've followed closely who spends so much time on the floor. He also seems to take longer than most to clamber back up -- like he's woozy, or something. That's not just about lateral quickness. And it's odd, seeing as he's otherwise an explosive athlete.

McGee was clumsy and ungainly, but I don't recall him suffering from "Baby Deer Legs Syndrome" as frequently as Gafford does.