‘Captain Of The Defense’: Daniel Gafford Chases NBA Blocks Lead While Anchoring Dallas Mavericks

DALLAS — Daniel Gafford entered Sunday tied for fifth in the NBA at 2.0 blocks per game. Victor Wembanyama (4.2), Chet Holmgren (3.0), Walker Kessler (2.8), and Myles Turner (2.5) are the only players ahead of him.

The Dallas Mavericks center wants a bigger voice on that end, as a captain of the defense.

“Really just trying to be better in my element. Of course, at the end of the day, I wanna be number one when it comes to just blocks, defense in general,” Gafford said after practice. “But it’s really just trying to insert myself in my role a lot more, get a lot more vocal and being a captain of the defense.”

Dallas ranks second in the league at 6.8 blocks per game. The noise Gafford makes on defense turns into transition baskets at the other end.

“It’s just being out there and being as loud as I possibly can. That helps us and that fuels our offense down the stretch,” Gafford explained. “It gives us a lot of transition buckets time and time again. It’s just really just doing my job, I want to say.”

Daniel Gafford On Screen-Setting And Chemistry With Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving

Mavericks coach Dusty May has praised Gafford’s screen-setting several times this season, and his pick-and-roll with Cooper Flagg has been a staple of the Dallas offense. Whether defenses double off the screen or not, Gafford sees his job as making it physical.

“Really, yeah, I take a lot of pride in it because it gets guys open, and it gets our main ball handlers open in the open floor when they got, of course, the main pesky defenders on them. So getting them open is obviously my main priority,” Gafford said. “I just try to get guys downhill. I just try to make sure I set a physical screen, whether they’re trying to double guys off of the screen or they’re not, making sure we find some type of way to have some type of regulated flow into our offense.”

“For me, that’s gonna be my main job,” Gafford continued. “So I’m definitely gonna try to be as elite as I possibly can at that role.”

Gafford is averaging 8.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 23.3 minutes while shooting 70.0% from the field. When he messes up a possession, he takes a moment to himself and moves to the next one.

“On the offensive side, I’m just really just taking what the game gives me, being confident in the shots that I take,” Gafford said. “If there’s any type of possession where I mess up or anything like that, not really just letting that get to me. I have to really just kinda take a moment to myself, console myself, and just get back to the mindset where it’s like, let’s go out, let’s have a good game instead of focusing on the mistakes that I’ve made. Because that’s in the past. If you make that mistake, it’s not going to make the whole game.”

The work with Kyrie Irving and Flagg happens in the gym before games, Gafford said.

“I get in here with Kai, I get in here with Coop, pretty much anybody that’s out there on the floor with me offensively,” Gafford said. “I just try to pick and point and just really just find ways that I can impact our offensive sets, and just find ways to get us a basket, whether it’s me getting the basket or if it’s my teammates getting the basket. That’s gonna help us, I would say, throughout the season, honestly.”

Gafford On Flagg’s Approach

Flagg enters Monday averaging 26.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists while shooting 55.7% from the field. His 2.6 steals per game rank fifth in the NBA.

Flagg makes the atmosphere energetic and fun every day, according to Gafford.

“He’s still 19. We can’t even get that,” Gafford said with a laugh. “I mean, sky’s the limit for the kid. Just seeing stuff he’s doing on a night-to-night basis, I’m just still amazed with what he’s doing at the age that he is right now. And it’s just his approach to the game every day. He’s happy, he comes in, he makes the atmosphere energetic, he makes it fun.”

“I’m pretty sure if he feels like there’s anybody in a bad mood or anything, he’s gonna try to find a way to light the room up for them at the end of the day,” Gafford added.

Dallas hosts Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings on Monday. Sabonis leads the NBA at 15.8 rebounds per game. Tip-off is 7 p.m. CT at American Airlines Center, on KFAA and MavsTV+.