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Washington Wizards: It’s simple. Daniel Gafford needs more minutes.

ByEthan Smith|
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 25: Daniel Gafford #21 of the Washington Wizards reacts after a play against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Capital One Arena on April 25, 2021 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 25: Daniel Gafford #21 of the Washington Wizards reacts after a play against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Capital One Arena on April 25, 2021 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)

It’s time to move on from the center-by-committee approach that Scott Brooks and the Washington Wizards have been using for the past several weeks. There are three centers in Washington, and one has been far more impactful than the rest during this three-ring, frontcourt circus. Here’s how each big man’s per 36 numbers look since the trade deadline, per NBA.com…

  • Daniel Gafford: 20.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.6 blocks, 69 percent FG
  • Robin Lopez: 20.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 69 percent FG
  • Alex Len: 16.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 59 percent FG

Gafford also has the best net differential among Wizards big men over that time, per NBA.com…

  • Daniel Gafford: +6.5
  • Robin Lopez: +4.0
  • Alex Len: -5.9

No matter which way you look at it, Gafford is the most impactful big man on the Wizards roster. And you don’t really need the advanced numbers to prove it. Watch one Wizards game and Gafford will quite literally jump off the screen. It doesn’t take long to see that this guy is the best of the bunch.

But somehow, Scott Brooks doesn’t seem to have figured that out. Since the trade deadline, each member in the trio of centers averages virtually the same amount of playing time: 17.7 minutes for Gafford, 17.5 minutes for Lopez, and 16.8 minutes for Len. Despite the fact that Gafford has proven to be an instant impact player since arriving in Washington, his playing time has barely increased since he showed up. You’d expect that a player that arrives midseason may need some time to ease into things and figure out his new teammates. Once he gets a feel for things, then his minutes go up, right? Not for Gafford, who has averaged nearly the same amount of playing time over the last 11 games (17.7 mpg) as he did in his first 10 games with the Wizards (17.6 mpg).

The Washington Wizards are committing self-sabotage by keeping Daniel Gafford on the bench. One way or another, he needs more minutes.

When asked about why Gafford was absent down the stretch during the Wizards’ 120-116 loss to Atlanta, Brooks said Gafford was a bit gassed and needed a breather. If that’s true, fair enough. But Gafford sat for seven crucial minutes in the fourth quarter. Did Gaffod need that much of a breather? If so, his conditioning is a bigger problem than we think.

This isn’t the first time Gafford has been on the bench when it seems like he should be on the floor, either. We’ve seen Brooks stick with Lopez for longer than usual when his hook shot is hot. But Gafford rarely seems to get rewarded with extra minutes when he’s making plays. And he makes a lot of plays.

The Wizards could have punched a ticket to the postseason for the first time in three years with a win over the Atlanta Hawks. Maybe if Gafford had seen more minutes down the stretch, they’d be postseason-bound already.

Keeping Gafford on the bench has cost the Wizards in a few regular-season games. As the play-in tournament and playoffs draw near, it’s a mistake that the Wizards can’t afford to keep making.

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