We often use the descriptor “perfect fit” in NBA language, but in the case of Daniel Gafford and the Dallas Maverickswho acquired Gafford at the trade deadline Wizards of Washingtonwe are literally dealing with perfection.
After finishing 9 of 9 from the field in Dallas’ 127-92 win over the Bulls As of Monday, Gafford has now converted 28 consecutive goals in his last four games. That’s an NBA record for the play-by-play era, which dates back to 1997-98, and it’s quickly closing in on Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time record of 35 consecutive makes.
Gafford may not be a household name, but he’s actually the epitome of the type of player capable of breaking what is generally considered one of Chamberlain’s most unbreakable records.
For starters, you can’t be a jump shooter if you’re going to create 35 consecutive buckets. Gafford is not a jump shooter. As of Monday, 347 of his 362 attempts this season had come from under nine feet, including 302 from under five feet – which he converted at a rate of 75%.
Simply put: Gafford is extremely selective about the shots he takes. These are almost always close range opportunities and as such he doesn’t miss them very often. In fact, Gafford is literally on his way to becoming the most efficient scorer in NBA history.
Among all players who have attempted at least 2,000 shots, De’Andre Jordan’s 67.4% conversion rate ranks among the best in history. Gafford, with 1,527 attempts to date, has yet to reach the 2,000 shot mark, but he currently has a career completion percentage of 70.5.
And now, believe it or not, Gafford is in a position to become even more effective. You’re talking about a nearly seven-foot athlete who rides on rims and is paired with Luka Doncicwho is the leading lob/roll creator in the league, in addition to Kyrie Irvingwho creates many of the same opportunities and exploits many of the same avenues as Luka.
As with any Dallas great, the job description is simple: As long as Gafford gets to the rim, whether it’s a lofted or rolled pass, a post or a bucket, a blitz towards an open space or an offensive board, he will feast almost entirely on dunks or layups.
“My philosophy is definitely to be consistent,” Gafford said Monday. “I have the mindset that I want to finish everything, it doesn’t matter if there’s anyone in front of you or there’s no one in front of you. At the end of the day, I either soak it, or I put it in the rim.”.
Indeed, 12 of Gafford’s 28 straight field goals were dunks, and 26 of them came with at least one foot inside the restricted area (the only two that weren’t were about six inches from the outside). Maybe five of them were even slightly challenged. A few of them had to get some friendly bounces to keep the streak intact, but for the most part we’re talking rabbits.
It goes without saying that Chamberlain holds numerous NBA records (68 alone, and 72 overall), some of which are good bets to never be broken: 100 point game, 50 PPG for a season, 37.6 PPG as a player. rookie, six 70-point games, 32 60-point games (including four consecutive in 1962)… the list goes on.
Chamberlain’s 35 consecutive goals is a pretty wild mark. He enjoyed a much greater size and athleticism advantage than most players (certainly Gafford) today, but on the other hand, there are more defined roles for players like Gafford at that time. If you’re not a great shooter, you’re going to make almost all of your shots from the most effective areas of the court.
Still, 35 consecutive marks is crazy, and while it may seem like Gafford is there, seven more, and eight more to hold the record, is a long way off. But then again, he couldn’t be in a better situation to achieve this.
If Gafford was an almost exclusively restricted area shooter in Washington (78% of his non-waste shots came from inside the dotted line in his first 45 games with the Wizards, according to Cleaning the Glass), he became a even more judicious shooter. finisher in Dallas, where he makes 87% of his shots inside the restricted area.
Still, one of these shots can bounce and go out. But considering his career numbers and how he’s deployed — and alongside whom — in Dallas, that record is within reach. Dallas is at Golden State on Wednesday, and for what it’s worth, the Warriors are an extremely small team without much traditional rim protection. A record that many thought could never be broken could realistically be achieved in the Bay.
