It's finally time for Jason Kidd to consider benching fan-favorite Maverick

It's no secret that without Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford has struggled mightily this season. Many Dallas Mavericks fans understand that Gafford is the type of center that needs a playmaking guard to distribute the ball to him, but even without someone passing or lobbing balls his way, Gafford has looked like a shell of himself and not as explosive.

When the Mavericks acquired Gafford at the 2024 trade deadline from the Washington Wizards, he made an immediate impact on both ends of the floor and filled in as the team's missing link in their run to the NBA Finals. Without a guard, Gafford's offense has suffered, but even more concerning, Jason Kidd may be forced to bench Gafford for Moussa Cisse or someone else to finish off the season.

Daniel Gafford's dip in production is getting concerning

There is no doubt that this season has been a train wreck for the Mavericks, but nobody had Gafford struggling this much on their checklist. While Gafford still offers the possibility of being a lockdown defender on a nightly basis, the reality of his situation is that he hasn't looked like the player who helped Dallas reach the 2024 NBA Finals.

Benching Gafford for Cisse may not have been something anyone expected at the beginning of the year, but Kidd may be closer to that outcome than fans realize. Against the Los Angeles Lakers last week, Gafford had one of his worst performances of the season, finishing a 28-minute night with two points, six rebounds, and one block in the blowout loss.

For Cisse, the case for him to be starting is easy. Not only would this be an excuse for the Mavericks to play some of their young players, but many fans have speculated that Cisse could be a part of Dallas' future alongside Cooper Flagg.

Cisse has not only been one of the Mavericks' best frontcourt players this season on a two-way contract, but he has rightfully earned the right to a standard contract and the chance to earn legit minutes in Kidd's rotation.

For Kidd, planning for the future and a possible rotation for next season should be a main priority, and with Gafford still being a possible name to trade over the offseason, it would only make sense for the Mavs to play Cisse or someone younger.

Although Gafford survived the constant rumors at the trade deadline, it doesn't give him a safe pass to start on a nightly basis, especially with the addition of Marvin Bagley III if the Mavericks don't feel comfortable starting Cisse.

Bagley III has continued to play well for the Mavericks after the Anthony Davis trade and is another name to possibly monitor for Dallas' starting role moving forward.

There's no doubt that Gafford still has the skills and experience to be a starting-caliber player in the NBA, but without a true point guard, his offensive game has nosedived. It may just be the 27-year-old still adjusting to not having easy lob opportunities to the basket, but Gafford's defense has followed and struggled as well.

It may be a bit harsh to bench the team's best available big, but Gafford's struggles may be more concerning than fans realize. Cisse and Bagley III are both capable options, and if Gafford isn't in the team's long-term plans, it only makes sense to decrease his role.