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Athletic will perdue
Daniel Gafford
School: Arkansas
Position: C
Age: 20
Height: 6-foot-10.5
Weight: 237.6
Wingspan: 7-foot-2.25
Draft Range: 20 to 35
Combine Results? Yes
Why: Athletic traditional center. Would have been a top ten pick just a few years ago. Great finisher around the rim; dunks anything that is dunkable. Dangerous lob threat with fluid yet explosive athleticism. Runs well and dribbles better than expected. Strong rebounder, committed defender and good timing on blocks.
Why Not: No perimeter game at all. Can't shoot outside of the paint and a 59.1% free throw shooter. No court vision; doesn't pass the ball; turns it over a lot when swarmed. Not good at defending out on the perimeter and it's doubtful that will ever become a strength of his. Injury concerns (meniscus tear in high school).
Spurs Fit: Not a finished product but should be able to be the team's third string center by playoff time. Long-term Poeltl insurance.
Spurs Comparison - Ceiling: Athletic Will Perdue
Spurs Comparison - Floor: Amal McCaskill
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Athletic will perdue
One thing I wonder about is why a guy like this is Projected as a late first round, early second pick but a guy like jaxson Hayes is considered a lottery pick!? Same goes for Bruno fernando, Mfiondu Kabengele, Goga, etc. I don’t get why Jaxson is considered a bettter prospect then these guys
Bruno, Mfiondu and Goga can all shoot threes and that's what teams want nowadays. Even Hayes has flashed a jumper and he's a good free throw shooter so there's hope he can continue to extend his range. Compared to Gafford, Hayes is also younger, taller, longer and more athletic.
Gafford, unfortunately for him, was born a few years too late. Previously, centers didn't need perimeter skills. Right now, that's what teams want to see.
great athleticism and motor, clint capela type...
Seems like there are some slept on big men in this draft that should fall to the end of the first/start of the 2nd round. Would be nice if the Spurs can grab one
I frankly like him as a second unit big with the likes of Murray (rehab year), Walker, Bertans and whoever deer we take with the other draft choice...that unit will need a running big (and he's probably the best at it) and athleticism and this gay can give it to us. Plus his main flaw (outside shot) is the one we have a trainer's team best able to fix...if he's still in with the 29 pick I think it could be the right one...with the 19 maybe would be a reach considering how he's actualy valued nowadays...
This brings up a good point. With traditional centers massively undervalued right now, it might be a good time for the Spurs to zig when every other team is zagging. In other words, you might be able to get a top ten talent by drafting an out of vogue player type at 19 (a traditional center, in this instance, but not necessarily Gafford).
The risk would be that traditional centers become completely antiquated within a couple more seasons . . .
...my main concern with him, looking and the profile made from timvp, is not his lack of outside shooting but the fact that he's not considered a good perimeter defender nor to be able to improve in that regard...I frankly don't understand how a big guy with his skills and frame (I mean his frame is a light but strong one, and his athleticism in unquestionable) shouldn't be able to switch fast on the perimeter and close the passing lines...
he had some good results at the combine : shuttle run and three quarter sprint were good.
Looks promising but with Poeltl in the fold, hard to see them being able to play together.
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