New York Knicks: 2019 NBA Mock Draft, Sweet 16 edition
PF/C. Arkansas. Daniel Gafford. 30. player. 89.
Age: 20
Height, Weight: 6-foot-11, 233 pounds
Slash Line: .660/.000/.591
Season Averages: 16.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.9 BPG
Rounding out the first round, Daniel Gafford was one of Arkansas’ top players in 2018-19. His work was behind the standout Tennessee, Auburn, LSU and Florida teams that made the NCAA Tournament, but 16.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and nearly two blocks per game were nothing to scoff at.
Athleticism carries part of Gafford’s value. He’s a big, mobile frontcourt player with good rebounding skills and an ability to score around the basket; those skills still have a few avenues to travel, and he’s without any three-point shot.
Gafford, overall, is a raw player. That will either benefit him and cause a rise into the 15-to-20 range or cause his downfall. Texas A&M’s Robert Williams experienced something similar in 2018, but he’s shown flashes of brilliance with the Celtics.
The Milwaukee Bucks have a luxury pick to make, but they can also use frontcourt depth, especially if Nikola Mirotic leaves and the potential retirement of Pau Gasol. If not Gafford, finding a wing makes sense, as well.
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The New York Knicks probably won’t slot anywhere for Gafford, but he’s an intriguing big man, nonetheless.