Daniel Gafford's new skill is set to ignite Sixth Man of the Year buzz

After a back-and-forth first half against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Dallas Mavericks exploded for a 40-point third quarter to extend their lead, which would stand for the remainder of the game. Not only was Dallas' 132-108 win over Portland important to increasing the team's win total in December but the Mavs head into Christmas Day with a chance to crack the 20-win mark.

While a win over the Trail Blazers could've been predicted, the Mavericks once again shined on both ends of the floor. Offensively, the team had five players in double figures including a 27-point game from Luka Doncic who made his return from a nagging heel injury.

With Christmas Day around the corner, the Mavericks have improved in every facet of the game. Not only has the team begun to light up the scoreboard as they begin to get more healthy, but the Mavs have also found their footing on the defensive end.

While the team has improved on the offensive end with Doncic and Kyrie Irving getting more comfortable, the team's big men have made the real difference. Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II have ascended on the offensive end over the last few weeks, which has resulted in some impressive showings.

Gafford's downhill dominance opens up new offensive tool bag

After struggling in the early half of December, Gafford has completely turned his season around with two monster performances in a row. Against the LA Clippers, Gafford finished with 13 points on 4-5 shooting and six rebounds.

While that may seem like average numbers for the big man, he unlocked a new skill that carried him to his career night against the Blazers. Against Portland, Gafford wrapped the night up with 23 points on 7-7 shooting from the field in large part to his ability to get downhill quickly due to his speed and strength.

Gafford's downhill movement not only got him 23 points on the night but it got him to the foul line where he would end up making nine of his 14 attempts from the line.

With the Blazers prioritizing guarding the perimeter to not allow Dallas to get hot from deep, it left Gafford wide open at the nail where he would throw his head down and get to the bucket. On multiple occasions in the second half, Gafford would have one man to beat at the basket who would end up sending him to the line to convert on easy and-one attempts.

This new skillset has not only sent Gafford to the foul line more times, but it has opened the floodgates to easy buckets down low. This will not only free up the former Razorback but it will force defenses to collapse on him when he has a wide-open lane, which could result in easy shots from behind the arc.

It might only be a two-game sample size, but Gafford has already proven he can be a wizard when he gets the ball at the nail. Against an above-average defense they may exploit Gafford's lack of ball handling but that will require the defense to collapse, which will result in wide-open shooters from behind the arc.

With this in mind, Gafford's next progression in the short roll will need to be made in the playmaking department. If he can develop a passing ability similar to Lively II's, he could potentially prove his case to be this year's sixth man of the year.