Unlike Hutchison, I think Daniel Gafford can immediately impact the Bulls both offensively and defensively.
Straight off the bat, I think based on Gafford’s performance in the Summer League, he deserves the backup center minutes over Cristiano Felicio. He already is a better rim runner and defender than Felicio and complements the young guards that the Bulls have more than Felicio.
Even after saying that, I still think that Gafford will only be the 10th guy in the rotation. He is still a rookie and although he is a good defender, I don’t think he’s versatile enough to guard the modern centers and not strong enough to guard the traditional centers either. Also, the Bulls in small ball lineups may go with Thaddeus Young at the four and Lauri Markkanen at the five.
That being said, I do think he’ll play a good amount of minutes and have the production to back it up. I don’t see him being a double-double guy yet, but I do think that a good NBA comparison to him right now is Nerlens Noel. They are both great defenders, but have some improving to do on the offensive end.
I also think that in the beginning of the season, they might stick Gafford in the G-League so that he can develop a mid range shot, but he has proven enough so far to warrant him immediate playing time.
My Prediction on Gafford’s Statline: 6.2 points , 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks on 48% shooting in 15-18 minutes a game (62 games played)