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Daniel Gafford emerging for Mavs in Dereck Lively II's absence

With Dereck Lively II expected to miss the next 2-3 months, Gafford is ready to handle a bigger role in Dallas.

The Mavs will look for Daniel Gafford  to fill a more prominent role with Dereck Lively II for at least 2-3 months.

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The Mavericks have dealt with injury challenges while trying to keep pace in the Western Conference standings. Luka Dončić’s (calf) absence has been a tough blow during this stretch of the season, and the Mavs just suffered another setback as Dereck Lively II was reportdely ruled out for 2-3 months with a foot fracture.

The Mavericks have managed in the backcourt with Kyrie Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie as the primary combo, but Lively’s absence has created uncertainty in the frontcourt. However, Daniel Gafford is emerging as a potential solution.

The fifth-year center is playing his second season with the Mavs, and has already given the team a reason to believe he can handle a bigger role. With Lively likely to miss the rest of the regular season, the need for Gafford to maintain his production will be key.

Gafford notched a career-high 31 points and 15 boards on Monday against the Hornets. Earlier in the week, he put up 27 points and 12 boards against the Pelicans. In his 18 starts this season, Gafford is averaging 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game with a 73% field goal percentage. He also averages 1.9 blocks per game when in that starting role.

While Lively’s rebounding and rim protection are hard to replace, Gafford looks ready to get his shot. His defense, energy and ability to provide interior scoring will be key to Dallas making a push up the standings as the second half of the season gets underway.

The stats are impressive, but Gafford is making plays that need to be seen to understand their impact fully…

 

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