Daniel Gafford
Gafford is Dallas's starting center to open the season, but beat coverage expects his role to shrink as Lively and Aldama return and rookie Morez Johnson competes for frontcourt minutes.
Role
He started the season opener against Houston and played 22 minutes (Fox Sports game log, checked 26 Oct). He also started against the Spurs and had 8 points and 5 rebounds before leaving late in the second quarter (Mavs Moneyball recap). CBS and Fox both say he is the starter "for now," and that the returns of Santi Aldama (knee) and Dereck Lively (foot) will likely cut his minutes. Rotowire's offseason note called a role in the low 20s feasible. Marvin Bagley and Dwight Powell were the fill-in centers when Gafford missed games last April. I did not find a current depth chart or minutes tracker, so I can't say who is behind him now. Dusty May is the new head coach, and his rotation preferences are not yet established in anything I read.
He is the incumbent starter and the only healthy true center named in the coverage I found. Lively and Aldama are still out, and Rotowire notes that durability is not a strength for Lively or Davis. Any further absence would raise his workload. Dallas also gave him a three-year, $60 million extension, which shows commitment. Dallas Morning News reporting, via FantasyData, says May has given him the freedom to take rhythm threes. That is only a possible bonus, since he has attempted almost none in his career.
Rotowire and CBS both flag "more competition for minutes" after Dallas drafted Morez Johnson at No. 9. Rotowire also says the Mavericks likely see Lively as their center of the future. Even as a starter last season he often played less than Lively. Rotowire's offseason note said he would likely be demoted. He also left the Spurs game after knocking knees with Castle, then returned with four fouls before halftime. I found no word on the severity, and he has no injury designation.
Where analysts split
The split is how long he keeps the starting job and the 22-minute-plus workload once Lively and Aldama are healthy. Rotowire's earlier take was a likely demotion to the low 20s. The current CBS and Fox blurbs say only that he starts for now. Nobody I found has said how May will split the center minutes.
Research confidence: thin. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
Others at C
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