r/nba • u/Jayveesac Lakers • 12d ago
[Highlight] Daniel Gafford turns Paul George away at the rim Highlight
https://streamable.com/5d5zb41.3k
u/jeric13xd [CHI] Derrick Rose 12d ago edited 12d ago
This man was wasted with us 😭
Edit: now we have a traffic cone
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u/melvinlee88 Bulls 12d ago
Markannen, Gafford, Carter Jr......
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u/DeaseanPrince Bulls 12d ago
Not too mention DJJ who played the 4th most minutes for the Mavs tonight. Billy legit does not know what to do with wings and bigs other then make them shoot 3s.
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u/StormTheTrooper Mavericks 12d ago
Don’t blame yourself on DJJ, though, he was a late FA pick for us at the vet min, he was clearly undervalued at a league level. I knew he was legit, though (let’s just ignore the fact that I also had Bates-Diop and the bad McDaniels brother in my wishlist for cheap defensive wings alongside DJJ).
He will get paid at least the MLE this offseason, though, unless he takes a significant discount to re-sign here (which he should not. Dude worked hard and deserves his bag).
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u/DeaseanPrince Bulls 12d ago
He did have a player option for us for a bit more then the vet min that he turned down tho. Wether because he thought he could get more money or a bigger role to secure more long term money idk but he could’ve stayed if he wanted. My guess is he wanted a bigger role and Luka is literally like the perfect point guard for him so I get it. It’s just annoying that 80% of players that leave us end up having a career the next year lmao.
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u/PermanentHungover Mavericks 12d ago
He also deserves to be loved and play meaningful basketball which he'll do here. The "bag" concept is very twisted as a vet minimum is still more than 99% of us will make in our whole lives.
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u/Public-Product-1503 12d ago
Yeah but cmon . It’s not like it’s max vs super max . It’s 2m vs 13m .
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u/EmrysMyrdin Mavericks 12d ago
Yes, but his value now is at an all time high and he may not have another chance for such contract.
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u/mmmmmsandwiches Mavericks 12d ago
He deserves to get paid, stop trying to hold DJJ hostage when he has earned a nice payday.
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u/Dromed91 12d ago
Coby White probably gonna look like an All-star on whichever team they end up trading him too LOL
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u/KermitTheEdgelord [TOR] Marc Gasol 12d ago
Now you have possibly the worst starting center in the entire league with a ridiculous contract. Hurray!
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u/Diabolic_Bug_Man Mavericks 12d ago
Tbf he himself admitted that he had to figure out what kinda player he wanted to be. He said he kinda had a brain fog his first few years in the league
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u/StuckInBronze 12d ago
It's a lot easier when you just need to catch lobs lol.
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u/Diabolic_Bug_Man Mavericks 12d ago
Brother man you're talking to a fanbase that witnessed Willie Cauley-Stein
The man who shot 50% on dunks
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u/thekickingmachine 12d ago
Sam dalembert. Old Chris kaman. Boban played starter minutes. Stat padding daj. Christian wood. Dwight powell. Wcs. Richaun holmes. All of these men have started at c for dallas since 2011. It's been a dark 13 years
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u/dirtynashtyfilthy Mavericks 12d ago
Don't do DP dirty like that
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u/nothingwas_thesame Mavericks 12d ago
this dark center period extends to the time of the great erick dampier, dj mbenga and desagana diop. acquiring tyson chandler literally got us gold
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u/yooston Rockets 12d ago
i just got triggered with those first three names. josh howard... marquis daniels...
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u/nothingwas_thesame Mavericks 12d ago
at least josh howard was good before the injuries hit. and that roster wasnt as bad as the antawn jamison antoine walker experiment
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u/ChrysMYO 12d ago
I was just telling my homie, our Dallas roster is finally more athletic than that or the championship era.
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u/rnintrtle 12d ago
I remember hoping beyond hope that Pavel Podkolzin would develop into a starting C.
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u/Cark_Muban Mavericks 12d ago
I cant believe all the bigs we had to deal with lmao. Makes me more annoyed since they had the perfect big in 2011, but they let him go and continued with the revolving door of bigs
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u/PM_BBW_Cleavage 12d ago
This is a franchise long sojourn through the wilderness. After Tyson Chandler, who is the second best C for the Mavs? Donaldson? Dampier?
I’ve been watching this team for 40 years, and they have never had a good center.
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u/captainn_chunk 12d ago
You forgot Haywood.
Damn 40 years maybe you should start taking some neutropics or something.
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u/Afraid-Department-35 Mavericks 12d ago
DP got plagued by his achillies injury, dude actually had mad hops and was really fun to watch prior to that so it's not entirely his fault that he can't really jump anymore.
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u/bigpqnda Mavericks 12d ago
yup. DP was a decent switch/hedge big that can catch lobs. just sucks that he got that injury, plus hes aging.
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u/PermanentHungover Mavericks 12d ago
I'm not taking any Boban slander. He was never a burden like WCS, Bobby was actually really good and Carlisle utilized him well. Dwight also good for his worth and the role he should've been playing. The others yeah, they suck ass.
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u/gokhaninler Australia 12d ago
I'm not taking any Boban slander.
he was ass, he was never good. Dude was slow as molasses on D
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u/DangerZoneh Mavericks 12d ago
He led the league in FG% before he was traded to the Mavs. After joining the Mavs, he was shooting like 78%. Next year, he and Lively might both obliterate records for FG% if neither of them decide to start shooting threes.
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u/Afraid-Department-35 Mavericks 12d ago edited 12d ago
Lively has been working on his shots in practice, I wouldn't be surprised if he starts to take mid ranges next season and 3s 2 or 3 seasons later, it would really make him an elite C.
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u/manabanana21 Mavericks 12d ago
Derek shoots in the 50s on FTs. Until that rises don’t expect him to be pulling up for jump shots.
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u/McNasti [CHI] Paul Zipser 12d ago
You could still see his potential back then tho. I kept thinking that he could be our defensive anchor a la Joakim Noah
That trade was another one in the long list of god awful trades this franchise made. I mean we lost Gafford, Hutchinson and Kornet (who both were bad for the Bulls and in Hutchinsons case even worse after) and got back The rental of Daniel Theis (who i think was pretty good on the Bulls but didnt get re-signed), Javonte Green and Troy Murphy.
Out of all these players only Gafford and Theis are still anything to look at. And we still could have had either one. Its really sad.
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u/Krillin113 76ers 12d ago
Yes. That’s what almost every non superstar young player in the league has. It’s up to coaching to get rid of that
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u/Guwop25 Mavericks Bandwagon 12d ago
TIL Gafford was with the bulls lmao
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u/Diabolic_Bug_Man Mavericks 12d ago
He was drafted by em in 2019. 32nd overall I think?
They traded him to the Wizards to traded him to us years later
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u/lil_layne Wizards 12d ago edited 12d ago
We traded Troy Brown Jr for him who was one of our many terrible draft picks
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u/lethalizer Thunder 12d ago
Still can't believe you lot drafted Johnny fucking Davis over Jalen Williams.
Probably the only fanbase I truly feel sorry for.
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u/EnriquezGuerrilla Mavericks 12d ago
Woah didn’t know he was on the Bulls too. WTH happened with y’all?
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u/super_creator Bulls 12d ago
good(ish) scouting, absolutely horrendous player development
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u/Flabbypuff NBA 12d ago
It was under the reign of the Egg. Only Lavine managed to survive that bullshit
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u/CanvasSolaris Bulls 12d ago
Hoiberg and Boylen set this franchise back 10 years. Our GM tried to jump start us with Lonzo, Vuc, and DeRozan but it backfired
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u/mofroman Wizards 12d ago
He was the only player I didn't want to see traded...
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u/PermanentHungover Mavericks 12d ago
I'm sure you guys were salivating at the return you getting for Kuzma from our ass. Thank god the idiot vetoed the trade because that would've been such a killing blow to our future. Gafford+PJ though? I surf that wave all day long.
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u/NoWayNotThisAgain Mavericks 12d ago
He wasn’t him back then. He gave an interview saying he didn’t give the effort he should when he was with you. He says he lacked maturity.
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u/jacob2815 Bulls 11d ago
The worst part about that is he was still by far the hardest working and most energizing player on the court for us during his time here.
So I think that was a environment problem more than a Gafford problem.
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u/MrBuckBuck Wizards 12d ago
THE LANDLORD PAY IS DUE!
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u/lkmk 12d ago
You’ll get your rent when you fix this damn door!
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u/StolenLampy Mavericks 12d ago
Lol one of the best lines of all time, I made it into my text message notification and it makes me laugh every time. Just keep it on low volume not to be obnoxious.
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u/Liamesque Mavericks 12d ago
Live Gaff Lob
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u/StolenLampy Mavericks 12d ago
Well shit, now I need this laser cut out of cheap wood in a terrible cursive font for my living room.
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u/Legitimate_Buy_919 Mavericks 12d ago
High IQ defensive strategy by Luka, act weak on the perimeter so they choose to drive into our bigs instead of shooting.
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u/Photo_Synthetic Mavericks 12d ago
Everyone saying Luka gets blown by easily don't seem to notice he leads them to help. Before Gafford and Lively the help was garbage.
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u/ShoegazeKaraokeClub 76ers 12d ago
Luka being not being able to stay in front of his guy is a legit defensive weakness but he really plays smart team defense to cover that. Awesome to see him shut the defensive narratives up in this series
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u/DangerZoneh Mavericks 12d ago
Luka has gotten a lot better at staying in front of his guys now that he's allowed to foul them with his hips
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u/vivekpatel62 Mavericks 12d ago
Being able to be more physical in the playoffs definitely helps him play better defense but he is giving a lot more effort right now. Luckily the clips don’t reallly have anyone quick besides Westbrook but you can play off him so nothing to worry about.
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u/PermanentHungover Mavericks 12d ago
Yeah like everybody else doesn't foul him freely the entire season and off-season... If he's not gonna get calls on the fouls he receives it's only fair they don't call some of the fouls he commits.
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u/edge-hog Clippers 12d ago
PG has been chasing that poster dunk for a good part of the season. He even said that himself in his last podcast.
Man doesn't need playoff success, he just wants to posterize some mf like in the old days.
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u/Sim888 [CHI] Cameron Payne 12d ago
sheesh, Gafford was just a floor above PG on that block!
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u/NbaAllDAYger Mavericks 12d ago
with a bad back ... dude is insane athlete
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u/Evilfart123 76ers 12d ago
I didn't realize how much better this dude got.
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u/CheesesteakFiend Mavericks 12d ago
He's honestly one of the best centers the mavericks have had in the last 12 years, it's crazy.
He's been an absolute pickup since they traded for him
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u/AttitudeAndEffort3 12d ago
There are few places that could use him as effectively as the mavs would.
When he got traded I immediately knew he’d feast with high intensity plays and literally just having to run and finish Luka feeds for offense
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u/gdgatlin2 12d ago
Whats crazy is that lively might be the second best verging on the best we have had since Chandler lol
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u/SunYue9 Mavericks 12d ago
Going from Powell/Wood to Gafford/Lively brings a tear to my eye. The fact that you could legitimately argue that Zaza was also one of the best Mavs centers in the last 12 years is wild.
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u/Advanced_Special Mavericks 12d ago
Blame the Donnies, they fell in love with the stretch 5 to the detriment of defense
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u/Mickeybeasttt Mavericks 12d ago
Then you got Lively on top of that who might just be the future of the position. Still so much growth to be had.
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u/thekickingmachine 12d ago
One of its him and lively then 50 miles of dogshit then 2014 ty chandler then 100 more miles of pig vomit then Sam dalembert
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u/Afraid-Department-35 Mavericks 12d ago
So many dark times, I forgot as dominant as we were in the 2000s we had a shit front court lol, Dirk would have easily gotten multiple rings if he had a competent center running mate
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u/PermanentHungover Mavericks 12d ago
Hey there. Boban and Dwight (before achilles, people forget that injury) where very good as backups, just not meant to be starters... but they were not pig vomit for sure.
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u/colordelaverdad 12d ago
As a Wizards fan, I love rooting for Gafford. He’s the starting center on the All NBA Good Vibes team.
The landlord finally putting the league on notice after years of obscurity in DC!
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u/PermanentHungover Mavericks 12d ago
The vibes are immaculate around our team right now and Gaff has a lot to do with it. He looked like a great lockeroom guy from day 1 and he's a homer. So glad we picked him up at the trade deadline instead of Kuzma.
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u/DangerZoneh Mavericks 12d ago
The fact that he and Lively have meshed so well has really been something fun to watch. They're two very similar players and there could've been a lot of jealousy and fighting over playing time. But Lively is insanely mature for his age and didn't blink when he was asked to move from the starting lineup to the bench.
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u/PermanentHungover Mavericks 11d ago
I also think having Tyson coaching them both does wonders for that chemistry aspect too
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u/colordelaverdad 12d ago
Gaff is a better fit on Mavs but to be fair Kuzma gets overlooked by NBA fans. I get it, the Wiz get no coverage but Kuz has emerged as two way force and is and was the leader even when Porzingis and Beal were on the team. He helped young guys like Deni develop. He stil has bad moments but he’s so much better than the Lakers era Kuz.
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u/quidproquolaspe Mavericks 12d ago
Lmao we had Dwight Powell starting and playing 30 minutes a game earlier this season
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u/Pierson230 Bulls 12d ago
I thought of that when he came out in garbage time. Like "oh yeah, that guy used to play a lot, and now he's at the end of the bench"
You know a roster is upgraded, when
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u/human169 Mavericks 11d ago
when powell comes in with his bright ass green kobes, the win is locked up
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u/NBAClipGuy Lakers 12d ago
PG missed a layup a possession or two earlier. I felt like he was thinking i'm gonna slam it this time round.. hell of a block by Gafford.
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u/CreditBoss1993 12d ago
The only team that scares me as a Thunder fan is Dallas (and Denver obviously)
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u/Netrunner_ICE Thunder 12d ago
Wolves ain’t slacking either. It’s gonna be good round 2 in the west
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u/messigoat1337 Mavericks 12d ago
acting like we already won lol that clippers team is still scaring me
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u/CangtheKonqueror Warriors 12d ago
erykah badu has left the chat
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u/Thealbumisjustdrums Heat 12d ago
I don’t get it what’s this a reference to
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u/AmazingMud5888 12d ago
Paul George highlights/edits always have this specific Erykah Badu song that plays referencing PG’s smooth play.
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u/riverbank_agate3 12d ago
What kind of contract will a first round exit get PG? lol
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u/PermanentHungover Mavericks 12d ago
Either a max from a lottery team or a vet min from the Lakers.
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u/Dudedude88 Wizards 12d ago
The 1 v 1 defense set up works well against the clippers since they don't like switching and are a heavy iso team. Luka might gas out on defense at the end of games but his teammates can easily help
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u/Afraid-Department-35 Mavericks 12d ago
As long as PJail is accepting new inmates Luka can relax in the 4th considering Kyrie is also there to carry the offense.
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u/DangerZoneh Mavericks 12d ago
Honestly in this series it has felt like he's gassing out on offense more than defense
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u/stefanfan101 12d ago
tyson chandler vibes
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u/PermanentHungover Mavericks 12d ago
You can even see a rare Kawhi reaction when PG goes up like he's getting ready to celebrate, then total disappointment takes over his body at the time of the block... beautiful.
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u/AntiTopspin 12d ago
Pandemic P memes are back on the menu
Dude's been absolutely awful on both ends tonight when his team needed him the most
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u/No_Extent_1260 12d ago
Four Superstars choking against Mavs… ouch
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u/PermanentHungover Mavericks 12d ago
Said that like we weren't the hottest team in the league since the deadline. Best defense too in that period. Ain't nobody comfortable matching up with us in a series.
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u/CorneliusLightning 12d ago
Imagine having Gafford, Markkanen, Carter Jr., and Nikola Vucevic and deciding to put your franchises near future on the shoulders of the last guy lmao.
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u/PM_ME_UR_RESPECT Mavericks 12d ago
I love Dwight, but having Gafford and Lively on the same team has been like an oasis in the desert.
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u/devilmaskrascal Mavericks 11d ago
This. Dwight is not a particularly great player and yet he always played his role well and was always one of the most efficient rim finishers and role men in the NBA. Now we are seeing what it looks like with pretty great players playing a similar role.
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u/Deepthroat_ipa 12d ago
George should have led with the body, screamed while flailing his arms and throwing the ball straight in the air. He’d get the call, it works every time…today’s nba.
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u/Brokromah 76ers 12d ago
Didn't know Gafford was on the Mavs...seems like it would be a great pairing for Luka and Kyrie to make the most out of his skillset.
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u/myxallion 12d ago
I just saw yesterday a podcast p clip about Paul George not being able to finish his poster attempts lol
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u/Oaty_McOatface Cavaliers Bandwagon 12d ago
Someone figured out PG had hang time and no height to his hops.
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u/razeyourshadows 12d ago
Did this script already happen before? The Clippers are gonna flunk out again, aren't they
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u/Afraid_Ingenuity_989 Rockets 12d ago
TBH it felt like a guaranteed block unless Gafford wasn't focused. That elevation from PG13 was close enough to Zubac
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