Arkansas Basketball: 2019 NBA Draft profile of big man Daniel Gafford

Strengths

Daniel Gafford’s strengths are his tremendous length, supreme athleticism, and never-ending motor.  Despite being somewhat limited in other areas, these are things that you simply can not teach and they certainly play into Gafford’s favor as draft night approaches.

Standing in at nearly 6’11 with a 7’2 wingspan, Gafford possesses the type of length necessary for a prospect whose time will be spent largely in the lane and around the basket.  Couple that with his tremendous vertical and second-jump burst, and Gafford has the potential to be an able and capable rim protector and rebounder at the next level.

In only two seasons at Arkansas, Gafford’s 141 blocks rank him sixth in school history and he developed into a volume rebounder for the Razorbacks on both ends of the floor.  His length also gives him the ability to handle defending quicker guards in switches at least on occasion.

Additionally, Gafford became a fan-favorite in Arkansas for his effort and hustle in addition to his rim-rocking dunks.  He runs like a gazelle and has good hands on the move.  He projects as an effective pick and roll lob option and rim runner that can finish with flare and authority in a system that prioritizes spacing and high-tempo.

While not overly skilled or versatile as a scorer, Gafford maximized his efficiency around the basket last season shooting north of 66% from the field and averaging nearly 17 points per game.  A large part of that is finishing a ridiculous 43% of his made field goals via the dunk.