Chicago Bulls rookie big man Daniel Gafford just had the best game of his young career on Monday night when he put up 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting, five rebounds, and two blocks.
Although his team lost 115-101 against the Milwaukee Bucks, Gafford's performance earned a lot of praise from his teammates and even drew an interesting comparison from Zach LaVine:
“He’s baby DeAndre Jordan, man,” Zach LaVine said, via The Athletic's Darnell Mayberry. “That’s who he is. He’s freakishly athletic.”
The Bulls drafted Gafford 38th overall in this year's draft, but prior to his breakout game, he hadn't gotten an opportunity to play. Still, his performance against the Bucks gives Chicago some hope that he can contribute and help them win more games.
While a lot of people didn't have any idea how good Gafford can be, Bulls forward Thaddeus Young was already optimistic about the 21-year-old's potential:
“When I first saw him play I said, ‘Oh shit, that’s one of our rookies? He’s going to be damn good.’”
The Bulls currently have a 4-10 win-loss record this season, and unless Lauri Markkanen finds a way out of his funk, this team is a major long shot when it comes to making the playoffs. Still, Gafford's debut performance in the rotation is certainly a ray of light during a disappointing start.
Chicago's next game will be on Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons, and it will be interesting to see if Gafford will be able to have another impressive outing against Andre Drummond and company.
Follow Us
Subscribe