Gallinari Firing On All Cylinders With Nuggets in Town
Mar 22 2010 11:14PM
Related Images
Danilo Gallinari has played outstanding basketball over his last few games.
NBAE/Getty Images
Danilo Gallinari has broken through the rookie wall.
Yes, he’s technically at the tail end of his second NBA season, but after being limited to 28 games last year due to a nagging back injury, Gallinari has often been referred to being like a “rookie” by Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni throughout the season.
Gallinari started the season off with a bang, knocking down seven 3-pointers in Miami on opening day and dropping a career-high 30 points against Philadelphia two games later in the Knicks’ home opener. But, like several other young players, he had reached a quiet point around the All-Star break after it appeared the non-stop schedule had finally caught up to him.
Luckily, the down period is over and Gallo is back to his old ways. With recent injuries to Wilson Chandler and David Lee, Gallinari has stepped up at the right time and is a major reason why the Knicks have won three out of five entering Tuesday night’s home matchup against the Denver Nuggets. He has scored over 20 points in three of the past four games, including a 26-point effort on 8-of-15 shooting in the Knicks’ previous game.
“He’s had a good year, a few ups and down, but I think that’s to be expected for a guy who’s 21 years old,” D’Antoni said. “But I think he’s learning the game that he has to have to play. I’m pretty pleased with his progress.”
Gallinari has quickly built a reputation around the NBA as a deadly three-point shooter. He led the league in 3-pointers made and attempted for most of the season, earning a spot in the three-point contest during All-Star Weekend along the way. But right after the Knicks revamped their roster by adding five players and shipping off six at last month’s trade deadline, he stopped shooting at his normal rate and failed to reach double figures in scoring in four straight games.
Maybe he just needed a little bit of time to adjust to his new teammates, because Gallinari has been on a shooting tear recently. Over the last five games, he has made 11 of 21 attempts from beyond the arc while shooting 47.3 percent from the field. He has also been doing a great job at getting to the free throw line more often. His 14 free-throw attempts against Philadelphia last Friday were a career high for the 6-foot-10 forward.
“He’s playing better,” D’Antoni said. “I think he’s understanding how to get fouled and get to the line, which is good. I thought he played well the last three or four games. It looks like he is just stronger and his defense has looked good.”
While Gallinari’s impressive scoring performances are no surprise, there were questions about his strength and defensive ability when the Knicks took him with the sixth overall pick in the 2008 draft. But Gallinari, who has been asked to guard some of the best perimeter players in the game this season, is earning respect from his teammates with the way he has handled the pressure of guarding the league’s elite players.
“I think he’s made a huge improvement,” Lee said. “And I think it’s been a lot of trial by fire. It hasn’t been because he’s been sitting on the bench watching other guys defending and picking up tips. He’s been out there guarding the other team’s best player on the perimeter, and sometimes that’s just what you need to do.”
Gallinari’s next assignment will be to help shut down Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets’ superstar forward. It won’t be a simple task by any means, but neither was overcoming a back problem, breaking through the rookie wall and becoming a leader on a young Knicks team just 97 games into his career.
Limited tickets are still available. Click here to purchase.
Yes, he’s technically at the tail end of his second NBA season, but after being limited to 28 games last year due to a nagging back injury, Gallinari has often been referred to being like a “rookie” by Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni throughout the season.
Gallinari started the season off with a bang, knocking down seven 3-pointers in Miami on opening day and dropping a career-high 30 points against Philadelphia two games later in the Knicks’ home opener. But, like several other young players, he had reached a quiet point around the All-Star break after it appeared the non-stop schedule had finally caught up to him.
Luckily, the down period is over and Gallo is back to his old ways. With recent injuries to Wilson Chandler and David Lee, Gallinari has stepped up at the right time and is a major reason why the Knicks have won three out of five entering Tuesday night’s home matchup against the Denver Nuggets. He has scored over 20 points in three of the past four games, including a 26-point effort on 8-of-15 shooting in the Knicks’ previous game.
“He’s had a good year, a few ups and down, but I think that’s to be expected for a guy who’s 21 years old,” D’Antoni said. “But I think he’s learning the game that he has to have to play. I’m pretty pleased with his progress.”
Gallinari has quickly built a reputation around the NBA as a deadly three-point shooter. He led the league in 3-pointers made and attempted for most of the season, earning a spot in the three-point contest during All-Star Weekend along the way. But right after the Knicks revamped their roster by adding five players and shipping off six at last month’s trade deadline, he stopped shooting at his normal rate and failed to reach double figures in scoring in four straight games.
Maybe he just needed a little bit of time to adjust to his new teammates, because Gallinari has been on a shooting tear recently. Over the last five games, he has made 11 of 21 attempts from beyond the arc while shooting 47.3 percent from the field. He has also been doing a great job at getting to the free throw line more often. His 14 free-throw attempts against Philadelphia last Friday were a career high for the 6-foot-10 forward.
“He’s playing better,” D’Antoni said. “I think he’s understanding how to get fouled and get to the line, which is good. I thought he played well the last three or four games. It looks like he is just stronger and his defense has looked good.”
While Gallinari’s impressive scoring performances are no surprise, there were questions about his strength and defensive ability when the Knicks took him with the sixth overall pick in the 2008 draft. But Gallinari, who has been asked to guard some of the best perimeter players in the game this season, is earning respect from his teammates with the way he has handled the pressure of guarding the league’s elite players.
“I think he’s made a huge improvement,” Lee said. “And I think it’s been a lot of trial by fire. It hasn’t been because he’s been sitting on the bench watching other guys defending and picking up tips. He’s been out there guarding the other team’s best player on the perimeter, and sometimes that’s just what you need to do.”
Gallinari’s next assignment will be to help shut down Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets’ superstar forward. It won’t be a simple task by any means, but neither was overcoming a back problem, breaking through the rookie wall and becoming a leader on a young Knicks team just 97 games into his career.
Limited tickets are still available. Click here to purchase.
