DALLAS — Daniel Gafford has taken one 3-pointer in seven NBA seasons. On Friday, the Dallas Mavericks center said he is looking forward to taking more of them.
Mavericks coach Dusty May said Sunday that Gafford will shoot rhythm threes as long as he continues to earn the right. Gafford went 1-for-1 from deep in live play that day, according to May. Gafford had not heard a number for how many he might shoot this season, and he expects the first couple might miss.
“I haven’t heard that. If that’s true, I mean, it’s a role that I’m going to have to take that step into. Of course, it’s going to be uncomfortable at first, but I feel like the first couple of misses, I think I’ll knock the rest off and be able to knock a couple of shots down,” Gafford said. “But, I mean, I’m looking forward to it. They’re putting a lot of faith in me to be able to take those shots, so it’s only right that I do the same for myself.”
At Arkansas, Gafford’s job was setting screens, rolling to the basket, catching lobs, and rebounding. The Chicago Bulls took him 38th overall in 2019.
“I did not. No. I took maybe a couple of jump shots in college, but that’s pretty much it. I didn’t shoot no threes at all,” Gafford said. “I was dunking the ball the majority of the time. Yeah, so that was pretty much my job. Set screens, roll to the basket, catch lobs, rebound, screen a lot. All of the above.”
“Yeah, I’m just, at this point, I’m growing in my career. I’m growing as a player, so I’m just building that confidence to be able to just take that next step,” Gafford continued. “For sure.”
His only NBA attempt came with the Washington Wizards in 2021-22. Gafford remembered it as a heave before the clock ran out on a quarter.
“It was a heave. It was like at the end of it. I think it was like going into maybe the fourth. I can’t remember. If I’m not mistaken, I think it was at Washington,” Gafford explained. “Just a turnaround, quick try to get it up before the clock went down. That was pretty much it. That’s usually whenever I’m supposed to be taking those threes anyway, so I just shot it.”
Gafford has made 70.2% of his shots across 433 career games. A first make would feel good, he said, as long as it does not go to his head.
“I mean, it’s going to feel good, I would say. Hopefully it just doesn’t go to my head and I start jacking up threes,” Gafford said. “So, fingers crossed.”
Confidence is the biggest thing for Gafford’s shot, Max Christie said Sunday. Christie has watched him work on it all summer.
“Confidence. That’s the biggest thing. Just continue to work and have confidence in it. He worked on it all summer. His shot looks great,” Christie said. “Every time he shoots it, just believe it’s going in. If you miss it, like I said, with that mentality, just forget about it and shoot your next one.”
Daniel Gafford On Dusty May, Pace, And Playmaking
The Dallas staff studied Gafford’s numbers this summer and found he is one of the league’s best finishers around the rim, May said Sunday. May also wants Gafford to be a playmaking decision-maker on the perimeter and a connector on offense.
Gafford is learning to slow himself down to get there.
“I’m getting there, baby steps, because I’m learning how to slow myself down a lot,” Gafford said. “I’m used to just being like this 24/7, but now it’s just I’m trying to further slow the game down for myself.”
May’s love for the game stands out to Gafford. The way May breaks things down helps players learn different spots and get comfortable.
“I mean, just his love for the game, honestly. He really pays attention to details, and he really breaks it. He basically kind of, like, tries to break the game down to a science, honestly,” Gafford said. “It helps everybody be able to kind of build and just learn different spots and just be able to be comfortable to where it can help us all take the next step as a player.”
Pace has been the biggest emphasis of the first week for Gafford.
“Really just our pace. He wants us to play fast. Of course, offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding, all of the above,” Gafford said. “He just wants us to be just like that team to where we play off of each other, we give each other energy, and we do all the things that just helps us to win basketball games.”
Gafford played 55 games last season, 44 of them starts, after he sprained his ankle on the first day of training camp. He averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists and shot 65.5% from the field. At media day on Sept. 25, he set a full season as his goal.
“Really just my goals for this season, stay healthy 100%. I wanna play a full 82-game season. I don’t want any setbacks, any obstacles,” Gafford said Sept. 25. “And if there are any setbacks or any obstacles, I’m more prepared to really just take those head on pretty much.”
Gafford is in the second season of a three-year extension and is making almost $17.3 million this season. He turned 28 on Thursday.
Daniel Gafford On Morez Johnson Jr., Chemistry, And Macao
Dereck Lively II is recovering from December foot surgery, and Santi Aldama and Morez Johnson Jr. have also been limited. Gafford tells them to take their time.
“I mean, I just take it as every day is, got to step up, honestly. You know what I’m saying? I’m just, I tell those guys, take your time,” Gafford said. “Injuries are something that obviously you don’t take lightly, I want to say, because I want everybody to be able to come in and just be able to play as themselves, instead of something to where it’s like you’re getting felt like you’re holding yourself back at some point.”
“But really just, I come in and I do the same thing every day. I put my head down to work, and those guys do the same thing,” Gafford continued. “So it’s just like wherever I leave off on the floor, they’re going to pretty much do the same thing when they come back.”
Johnson came in asking questions, according to Gafford, and picked up with May right where the two left off at Michigan.
“I’ve seen that, I mean, he’s a hard worker, man. He came in, of course he’s asking questions and he’s trying to learn as a player. One of the young guys, he just came in ready to work,” Gafford said. “That’s the main thing that I noticed from him. He has good energy, has his head on his shoulders. He’s very coachable, too. So it’s just like where him and Dusty left off from college, they pretty much just got back to it when they got here, for real, for real.”
The chemistry felt natural to Gafford, who said it was as if the group knew the new players before they arrived. May told the players never to let anybody hold his head down.
“I really can’t pinpoint what kind of caused it. It was just natural. Like, the majority of the guys, like, it felt like we knew the majority of these guys that came in before they even came in,” Gafford said. “So, it was just, we’re one big happy family at the end of the day. And we’re just pushing each other to better. And that chemistry that we’re building is because we’re always around each other.”
“When we come in, it’s a great atmosphere. It’s good energy. We’re always picking each other up. Dusty emphasized one of the main things is just, like, never let anybody hold their head down,” Gafford added. “Never let anybody get frustrated or anything like that. Always push guys to be the best that they can be and always hold them up to a high standard. So that’s kind of like what we’re doing throughout this season, for sure.”
Gafford is learning from the young players, who come in with their antennas up.
“Man, honestly, everybody that has joined, everybody comes in with the idea of just getting better. We have good energy, everybody’s ready to learn. We’re just soaking up so much knowledge, it’s just like we’re all sponges,” Gafford said. “So I’m really just learning from the young guys, because they come in with their head on their shoulders, antennas up, and they’re just ready to work. So it’s just, I got to make sure I keep up with them.”
Gafford has never been to China.
“Nah, this will be my first time,” Gafford said. “… Man, I’m a big food guy. So it’s like definitely going to find a ramen spot. But any type of cuisine over there, I mean, I’m all for it. I’m at a point to where it’s like I try a lot of stuff. It’s all about the experience for me. So we’ll see.”
Dallas faces the Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena in Macao on Oct. 9, with tip-off at 7 a.m. CT, and again Oct. 11. The Mavericks open the regular season at Houston on Oct. 21.
