Bulls

Meet Chicago Bulls Second Round Pick Daniel Gafford

Arkansas Power Forward/Center Daniel Gafford could anchor the Bulls bench with great interior defense.

by
BuzzOnTap
June 24, 2019

A lot of talk has been going on about Chicago Bulls first-round draft pick, Coby White. Though the second round pick the Bulls made could turn out to be a great selection. Arkansas Power Forward/Center, Daniel Gafford could anchor the Bulls bench with great interior defense.

Gafford was impressive at Arkansas and averaged impressive numbers during his two years in the Southeastern Conference.

Per Game Table
Season	School	Conf	G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	2P	2PA	2P%	FT	FTA	FT%	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS	SOS
2017-18	Arkansas	SEC	35	26	22.6	4.7	7.7	.605	4.7	7.7	.605	2.4	4.6	.528	2.2	4.0	6.2	0.7	0.5	2.2	1.1	3.3	11.8	9.85
2018-19	Arkansas	SEC	32	32	28.7	6.7	10.1	.660	6.7	10.1	.660	3.6	6.0	.591	2.8	5.8	8.7	0.7	0.9	2.0	2.4	2.8	16.9	8.78
Career	Arkansas		67	58	25.5	5.6	8.9	.635	5.6	8.9	.635	3.0	5.3	.562	2.5	4.9	7.4	0.7	0.7	2.1	1.7	3.0	14.3	9.31

Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/24/2019.

John Paxson said this about the big man.

“He’s a defensive rolling center, high energy, can run the floor,” Bulls vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said of Gafford, who was taken 38th overall. “He’s very athletic. His rebounding numbers, analytically, his shot-blocking numbers were really high. He played in a really difficult conference and produced.

“He’s a young man that’s going to have to earn his stripes. But we like him as a basketball player.”

Gafford isn’t as polished as former Razorback and Chicago Bull, Bobby Portis but he has a very high motor and can help improve the interior defense. At one time, Gafford was regarded as a potential lottery pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

With the selection of Gafford, Robin Lopez may not be returning to the team. Also, another thing to note is that if Cristiano Felico doesn’t improve, Gafford will take his minutes.

At Arkansas Gafford has shown tremendous athletic ability and above average defensive play. He needs to work on his offensive game such as post moves and a jump shot, but with his high motor, he could be an impact bench piece moving forward.

The Chicago Bulls had a very impressive draft taking high ceiling players that also addressed their needs. If Gafford can develop his offensive game, he can play a vital role in the future.

Featured Photo: Nelson Chenault/USA Today Sports

BuzzOnTap

I'm Buzz. I like to drink, watch the Bulls, Sox, BlackHawks, and Bears. That's about it. So, let's #Crackum. Follow @BuzzOnTap on twitter to drink some beers and watch some games.

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