Former Chicago Bulls Heading to Playoffs a Tough Pill to Swallow

Daniel Gafford, C

Before anyone gets all up in arms, no, this isn’t to say the Bulls should have kept Daniel Gafford. But it is to say that he wasn’t necessarily the problem here with the Bulls. Gafford is averaging 11.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in 17 appearances with the Washington Wizards. Both are easily career-highs.

Gafford has also seen a roughly four-minute per game increase in playing time, so perhaps to marvel at his statistical improvement is a bit short-sighted. But clearly, he can be far more effective and impactful right now than anyone in Chicago gave him credit for.

Long admired for his toughness and energy, Gafford’s hands and lack of an offensive game often saw him play in short stints before he could hurt the team.

He has Russell Westbrook in Washington, though, and the difference has been night and day. Westbrook is a master at finding teammates in their spots and, with Gafford being limited offensively but gifted athletically, the dunker’s spot is an easy find for Brodie. Maybe it wasn’t that he had bad hands as he just wasn’t getting the ball where he was comfortable.

The Wizards have been making a push for the playoffs, going 11-4 over their last 15 games, and Gafford was pivotal during that time. His 10.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game both represent dips from his Wizards tenure as a whole. But he’s still impactful on the defensive end.

He averaged 1.9 blocks per contest over that span and has given Washington some teeth in the middle of their defense. That’s something the Bulls could desperately use right about now.