Daniel Gafford Reveals Expectations For Dallas Mavs: 'I See Us Going To Finals'

With the Dallas Mavericks peaking at the right time, center Daniel Gafford has lofty expectations for his team.

Dallas Mavericks v San Antonio Spurs / Ronald Cortes/GettyImages

No team changed the complexion of their season like the Dallas Mavericks did at the trade deadline.

Dallas has gone from a team that had the potential to make a run if everything broke right in the playoffs to one that is firing on all cylinders at the right time and has become one of the scarier matchups in the Western Conference. The player who has been the focal point of the Mavs' turnaround has been center Daniel Gafford.

The Mavs (43-29) have won five straight games and nine of their last 10. With Dallas heating up of late, Gafford thinks his team will have a chance to win it all.

Dallas Mavericks v San Antonio Spurs / Ronald Cortes/GettyImages

"This team is amazing," Gafford said on the Top Shelf with Devin Harris podcast. "We've got a lot of depth [and] we've got a lot of fire in our hearts for sure, night in and night out. I see us going all the way to the finals, most definitely just because of the simple fact when I first got here, I felt comfortable instantly. It's like I was the peanut butter and the jelly was already on the bread. We just got put together [easily]. The chemistry is getting there. The chemistry is getting better as the games go by. I believe in it."

Gafford has averaged 11.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in his 20 games with the Mavericks. Dallas is also 11-1 in the games he's in the starting lineup, with the lone loss coming against the Oklahoma City Thunder without Luka Doncic.

The 6-foot-10 center has also etched himself into the Mavs' history books in his short tenure. He made 33 consecutive shots, which is the most in Dallas history and was three shy of breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record. He also became the first Mavs player to have at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, five blocks and two steals in a game since Hall-of-Famer Dirk Nowitzki in 2009.

Gafford has improved as his time with the Mavs has gone on, as he is averaging 14.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in his last 10 games. If Gafford can continue his stellar play, Dallas will have a chance to continue to rise, and he said he's willing to do whatever it will take to live up to his expectations for himself and to help his team win.

"The expectations for me is just coming out and working hard, giving it 110 percent every night and just being consistent," Gafford said. "That's my expectation. My main expectation is just to be consistent [and] come out and do whatever it takes to help the team win."