NEWSLETTER
Rather than sell their second-round pick for cash considerations, the Chicago Bulls added a big-man to their rotation:
The 38th pick is in. Welcome to the Chicago Bulls, Daniel Gafford! #NBAdraft2019 pic.twitter.com/q9yA5w6TuE
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) June 21, 2019
Daniel Gafford came off the board and went to the Bulls No. 38 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. We figured Chicago had interest in adding to its front-court depth because of the team’s rumored interest in center Jaxson Hayes, so it’s not too surprising the team opted for an athletic rim-protector in the second round.
Gafford had a strong year at Arkansas where he put up 16.9 points per game and shot 66 percent from the field, which isn’t too shabby. The 6-foot-11, 233-pound big man has the length and build to become a reliable presence off the bench and in the front court. Because in addition to his efficient scoring inside the paint, he also added 8.7 rebounds per game and 2.0 blocks per game. Racking up rebounds and blocks is one way to show that your game has more to it than dunks and scoring efficiency inside the paint.
But seriously .. let’s check out some highlight-reel dunks:
Yep, this guy looks like a beast:
The Chicago Bulls are selecting Daniel Gafford, a freak athlete who averaged 16.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 2.0 BPG (while shooting 66% from the field) as a sophomore at Arkansas.
He gave @HoopsHype a behind-the-scenes look at his pre-draft training. Check out his athleticism and length: pic.twitter.com/KlCVM3Ayng
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 21, 2019
Gafford doesn’t have the chops to be draining deep buckets and could stand to develop better general touch on his shot, but he has the athleticism to make up for a lot of his flaws on the court. Moving forward, the Bulls’ front-court remains very young with the 20-year-old Gafford serving as a potential back-up to Wendell Carter Jr., who turned 20 in April.
We will have plenty more on later. But for now, that wraps up the Bulls’ night at the 2019 NBA Draft.
