Washington Wizards: Daniel Gafford has been better than advertised

Going into the trade deadline, the Washington Wizards were not expected to be big buyers, if they were even buyers at all. Some fans and writers (including myself) expected them to stand pat completely and move through the deadline with an unchanged roster.

But, as we know this team is good at keeping their cards close to the chest. Shortly before the deadline, the Wizards sent out Troy Brown Jr. and Moritz Wagner in exchange for Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchinson as part of a three team trade with the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls.

When the trade went down, I don’t think a lot of people looked at this as some major move for either side. Certainly not a needle-moving pick on par with Aaron Gordon to the Denver Nuggets or Lou Williams to the Atlanta Hawks. This one looked more like swap two intriguing young prospects (Brown and Gafford) who would benefit from a change of scenery as opposed to the move that would put any of these teams over the edge.

After making the move at the trade deadline to bring in Daniel Gafford, the Washington Wizards are realizing he provides production that this team has desperately needed.

The move that brought Gafford and Hutchison to Washington is the type of move that has become familiar during the Tommy Sheppard era; the Wizards got two young, relatively cheap players on the fringes of their current roster. In D.C., they’re both getting a second chance. Daniel Gafford is definitely making the most of a new situation, and boy are the Wizards reaping the benefits.

Daniel Gafford: Instant Impact for the Washington Wizards

It didn’t take much time at all for Gafford to reward the Wizards for bringing him to the nation’s capital. The blazing hot Wizards are 10-1 (!!!) when Daniel Gafford plays this season. Through 11 games, he is averaging 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in about 18.5 minutes of action with the Wizards. Given how great Gafford has looked with the Wizards, it’s hard to see why the Bulls let him get away.

Outside of Gafford’s great personal numbers, the bigger impact has been what he has done to help out this team’s previously horrendous defense. A team that was ranked 26th in defensive rating at the trade deadline now ranks fourth since acquiring Gafford. The last month of lockdown defense has the Wizards with the 17th ranked defensive rating for the entire season.

Gafford has been a breath of fresh air on a team that looked very uninterested on defense before he arrived and it has been fun to see this team receive a nice shot in the arm. Having a young center who can bring it every night on the defensive end is crucial in today’s day and age. Daniel Gafford is exactly that so far during his time in DC. Gafford brings the energy, size, and defensive prowess this team has always needed. Since day one, his tenacious contests at the rim and hustle on the defensive end have helped out where the Wizards needed it the most.

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.

Daniel Gafford and his future with the Washington Wizards

Daniel Gafford is doing all of this for the Washington Wizards at just 22 years old. He still has two years left on his rookie deal after this season.

This makes him the perfect player to have in DC whether they continue with the Russ/Beal pairing or if they decide it is time for a rebuild.

The Wizards have long struggled to find consistent center play (shoutout Marcin Gortat) and now find themselves with a pair of young centers (Gafford and Thomas Bryant) who could provide quality minutes at the five for seasons to come.

Thomas Bryant will return next season from an ACL injury and is still just 23. Having a quality shooting/scoring five to pair with a defensive-minded lob threat is the perfect recipe for thunder and lightning next season in DC.

Although DG may never become an overpowering All-Star Center, he has shown not only that he can be an impactful player, but that he can provide the exact impact the Wizards have desperately needed for years.

Years ago, John Wall was very vocal about wanting to play with an athletic lob threat that would be a compliment his play style. Although Wall may not be here any longer, and the problem may have persisted for a couple of months after he left, it looks like the Wizards may have finally been able to fill this void.

A rim running lob threat and a defensive difference-maker is exactly what the Wizards have needed, and it is exactly what they have gotten from Daniel Gafford.