Washington Wizards: Daniel Gafford has been better than advertised

Daniel Gafford: A Perfect Fit for the Washington Wizards

One reason Daniel Gafford has had such an immediate impact in Washington is due to his seamless fit in the lineup. He is currently coming off the bench, but regardless of who he has been on the floor with, Gafford has turned up the volume.

The one guy who Gafford has had (nearly) perfect chemistry with despite never having played together before is Russell Westbrook. They always seem to be on the same page, as Gafford always seems to be in the right spot (aka near the rim) and Russ does great job of finding him for some easy finished.

The Russ to Gafford lobs have been a thing of beauty. Watching such a quality passer like Russ be able to run the floor with a high-leaping lob threat like Daniel Gafford has been special.

Aside from catching lobs, Gafford has shown an impressive ability to dive to the rim. His dives and cuts always seem to be properly calculated. Even when he is not directly involved in the play, he sets himself up in a good position to either rebound a missed shot or receive a pass for an easy bucket.

With a roster that relies heavily on Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beals getting to the basket, having a big man who can make opponents pay for locking in on the backcourt stars is crucial.

On the defensive side, Gafford has turned into the rim protector it feels like the Wizards have needed since 1953. He is a perfect anchor and his ability to erase shots and disrupt opposing offenses on the interior gives this Wizards team so much more room to maneuver.

Gafford is already averaging an impressive two blocks a game, but what makes it even more impressive is the fact that he does this in just 18 minutes a night.