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

Weaknesses

It is fair to say that Gafford is an incredible “raw” talent.  While his measurables and athleticism are impressive, he is lacks in certain areas in the skill department.  The main thing that may keep him on the outside of the lottery looking in is his shooting ability.

As it stands now, Gafford is largely a non-threat to find the bottom of the net outside of the paint.  He did not attempt a single three-pointer in his college career and a mid-range jumper was a rarity during his time at Arkansas.  This does not bode well for Gafford in a league that has evolved to placing a premium on size, shooting, and versatility at his position.  While Gafford did show improvement from the charity-stripe in his sophomore campaign, he still connected from the free-throw line at under 60%.

Gafford also has some work to do in the ball-handling and ball-security department.  While he has good hands and can catch and finish well on the move, when he puts it on the floor from the wing or even in the post things can be a bit of an adventure.  As his usage nearly doubled his sophomore season, so did his turnover rate.  In fairness, a large amount of those woes came facing double-teams in the paint which he is unlikely to see in the NBA.