Nobody expected Daniel Gafford to become a prominent figure in the Dallas Mavericks’ rotation when the front office acquired him from the Washington Wizards before the trade deadline. Turns out, he’s doing great and if successful, the big man will be able to surpass Wilt Chamberlain’s insane record soon.
Before playing for the Mavs, Gafford spent approximately three seasons with the Washington Wizards. Over the course of 218 games, he averaged 9.7 points on 70 percent shooting from the field, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.
Before the trade deadline expired last month, Dallas sent Richaun Holmes and a 2024 first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder to Washington in exchange for Gafford. This move was done by the Mavs to improve the team’s interior defense and prevent opposing squads from getting easy shots under the basket.
While that may have been the original plan, Gafford turned out to be better than expected by giving Luka Doncic an ideal partner to play pick-and-roll with. As a result, his averages rose to 10.6 points on 78 percent shooting from the field, and 7.0 rebounds per game in Dallas.
Dallas Mavericks Star Daniel Gafford Is On His Way To Breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s Insane Record
Needless to say, Gafford has been a revelation after being traded to the Mavericks. Proof of that is how close the Dallas star is to breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s old record of making the most consecutive field goals without missing any in the NBA.
In a tweet posted by Hoop Central on X:
“Daniel Gafford is now 33/33 FGM over his last 5 Games. Only 3/3 FGM away from passing Wilt Chamberlain’s consecutive FGM record,” Hoope Central shared.
Getting three more field goals might not be as easy as it sounds for Gafford. The Mavericks next opponent are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that boasts the league’s fifth-best defense.
On the flipside, having Doncic as Dallas’ focal point on offense may make things easier on Gafford when they play OKC, that is if the Dallas guard is healthy enough to play. In any case, it’d be interesting to see the big man break Chamberlain’s record and carve his name onto the annals of NBA history.
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