Daniel Gafford knocks on Wilt Chamberlain's door as Mavericks fans lose it: "The man who cannot miss!"

The Daniel Gafford trade has been paying rich dividends for the Dallas Mavericks over the past 5 weeks. The former Wizards big man has slotted seamlessly into a Mavs offense that relies on Luka Doncic's wizardry to facilitate their role players.

The Mavericks needed their role players to come up big on a night that Luka played below his usual MVP self. Doncic dished out 9 assists last night, 4 of which were to Gafford inside the paint. Gafford's 5 made field goals pushed his streak of consecutive field goals to a whopping 33 straight.

Gafford now trails the all-time record of 35 straight made field goals held by Wilt Chamberlain. See here for a look at all 33 of his shot attempts.

Gafford's presence on the floor allows Doncic to have the same vertical spacing that starter Dereck Lively II provides. This is in addition to his paint defense, work on the boards and his rim defense.

Mavericks fans hail Daniel Gafford as he closes in on Wilt Chamberlain

Given that they've added much-needed competence at the center position, Mavericks fans are understandably a lot more positive about their team's chances at a postseason run. They expressed the same sentiment following last night's win over the Golden State Warriors.

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Gafford finished with a whopping 7 blocks in addition to his 10 points, and fans are elated.

NBA Reddit hails Daniel Gafford as announcers dub him 'The Man Who Cannot Miss'

Mavs fans have also been quick to ascribe credit where credit is due - to Gafford's playmakers. Luka and Kyrie are 2 of the NBA's absolute best when it comes to executing a pick-and-roll with a center. And fans recognize the same.

Gafford's work ethic, energy, combative physical presence and ability to hang with the league's best big men has earned him true lunch pail comparisons.

Will Daniel Gafford be the starter for the Mavericks moving forward?

The Mavericks moved Gafford into the starting lineup in place of Dereck Lively II last night. Many were skeptical about the move, but the 1-game results are indisputable as both Gafford and Lively feasted on offense as well as defense.

A problem of plenty is always a nice problem to have, as Dwight Powell moves from their starting 5 to their 4th choice center. Maxi Kleber has seen some minutes as their small ball 5, but it ultimately remains a competition between Lively and Gafford.

Head coach Jason Kidd will probably opt for a matchup-based decision ahead of games, as Lively is a more switchable defender. Gafford will likely be used heavily when the Mavericks meet the more physical centers in the league.