By Dan Ferrara, NBA International
At 20 years old, Danilo Gallinari was everything that Knicks fans could have wanted. When the Knicks landed high in the lottery in 2008, the fan base was rejuvenated with hope and promise of a brighter tomorrow. With the No. 6 pick, New York selected Gallinari from Italy, a tall stretch forward with unlimited shooting potential.
As he just now turns 28 years old, it’s time to not only take a look back at Gallinari’s interesting career to date, but to also look forward and think about where he can go from here.
The Knicks seemed like a perfect match for Gallinari’s talents, whose smooth shooting stroke would fit well into the Mike D’Antoni’s fast-paced offense, then the head coach of the Knicks. He could run the floor well, put the ball on the floor and attack the basket, but most importantly for those Knicks teams, shoot the 3-pointer at a high clip.
Gallinari came into the league and performed just as he was billed — after getting a 28-game cup of coffee as a 20-year-old rookie, the “Rooster” averaged 15.1 points per game as a sophomore, quickly becoming a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden. D’Antoni gave him the green light from downtown, allowing the young forward to let it fly — he attempted 488 3-pointers that season and made 186, which are both career-highs to this date. Additionally, the 186 made threes were good enough for second in the league behind Aaron Brooks’ 209 that season.
But just as he began his ascension into a star in the Big Apple, Gallinari was dealt midway through the next season in a package for Denver Nuggets superstar Carmelo Anthony. Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov and Raymond Felton all joined Gallinari in Denver, then a team in transition with a roster lacking a star. Since making the move to the Mile High city, Gallinari’s career has had some ups and downs, mostly due to injuries.
Gallinari played in just 14 of Denver’s remaining 33 regular season games after being traded, though he returned for the postseason and averaged 12 points per game in the Nuggets’ opening round loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. His second season in Denver was also marred by injuries, as Gallinari played in 43 of the 66 games and his scoring took a small dip (14.6 PPG), while his 3-point percentage plummeted to a career-low (32.8%).
Gallo rebounded nicely the following season, appearing in 71 games and picking his scoring up to a career-high at the time, 16.2 points per game. Unfortunately the injury bug hit again, as Gallinari tore the ACL in his left knee that April, forcing him to miss the end of the 2012-13 season and then all of 2013-14. The injury was devastating, as it required two surgeries – one to repair a torn meniscus and another to address the ACL.
Predictably, his first season back after the long absence had it’s bumps in the road, as the versatile forward started just 27 of his 59 games and his 12.4 points per game were the lowest of his career since his rookie season.
The story of Gallinari’s career, however, does not end after these setbacks.
Gallinari seemingly put it all together in 2015-16. He set career-highs in points (19.5) and rebounds (5.3), and although his performance didn’t earn him All-Star honors in a crowded Western Conference, he showed that his tantalizing potential could again be turned into production on the court.
Even with his improved scoring average, there still appears to be many ways for Gallinari to better his game. Though he’s been in the league for eight years, he still has areas to improve on — most notably his career 41.5 percent shooting.
Perhaps Gallinari just needs some stability. While he has only played for two franchises, he has played for five different coaches in seven seasons. At just 28 years old, Gallinari should have plenty of gas left in the tank and might just need to find the right fit and get to a point where he is comfortable in a particular offense. Nuggets coach Mike Malone seemed to have a solid impact on Gallinari in his first season on the sidelines, so it’s quite possible that their relationship together will only grow in their second year together.
Still, there a several questions that need to be answered. Can Gallinari stay fully healthy and play 60 games for the first time since the 2012-13 season? Will the European veteran make his first All-Star team? Can he carry the Nuggets to the postseason after a three-year absence?
For that, we shall see. Gallinari may have earned his share of doubters, but after getting back on track last season, he’ll be expected to continue trending upward this season for the Nuggets.
