Gallinari Living Up to the Hype
Nov 3 2009 5:43PM
"We think we have an unusual package in this young man with size, shooting and ball-handling ability. He has the type of game that can bring people together and make them better. We are very happy to have Danilo." -- Knicks President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh, Draft Day 2008
"He'll be a 6-foot-11 three-point shooter, runner, ball-handler and passer. He will be tough and he will play hard and he will be intelligent. And that's how you build a team. We're starting with him, and we'll go from there. He's a good talent." – Knicks Head Coach Mike D’Antoni, Draft Day 2008
When the Knicks selected Danilo Gallinari with the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, it was crystal clear to everyone in the room that Knicks brass felt they struck gold, unearthing a valuable piece to the team’s turnaround. Expectations were high, but no one knew how fast a then 19-year old Italian import could adjust to the speed and rigors of the NBA. Throw in an unfortunate back injury that limited his rookie season to just 28 games, it’s understandable that no one knew just what to expect out him in his second season.
Now, just 17 months after NBA commissioner David Stern called his name as the newest New York Knick, the team’s investment in Gallinari is paying dividends quicker, bigger and better than they might have imagined.
One week into the start of the 2009-10 season, the rise of Gallinari is one of the most fascinating and compelling storylines in the league. Following Monday’s 117-112 win over the New Orleans Hornets, “Gallo” is averaging 19.3 points, 4.0 boards and 2.3 assists in 32.3 minutes per game. He ranks first in three-pointers made and 19th in overall points.
It is not only his impressive stat line that has taken the league by storm, however, but also his mentality and the way he plays the game.
“Honestly, I think Gallo is handling it way better than I did” said Wilson Chandler, who last year himself made the successful leap from being a promising rookie to valuable contributor. “I had a tough adjustment from my rookie year to last year, but he is a very confident guy in himself and I think he is going to be a real good player. He already is a real good player.”
There is a palpable buzz in the air whenever the ball is in his hands, and every time he takes the court has become an event at The World’s Most Famous Arena. The adoration between the fans and Gallinari is mutual.
“It is a great feeling.” he said. “I have to thank the Knicks fans and everyone at The Garden. They make me feel special every time I am on the court. I love them.”
As exalted as he is by Knicks fans, Gallinari is equally beloved by his teammates in the locker room.
“I absolutely love him,” said a beaming Al Harrington, who developed a relationship with him almost immediately after coming to New York. “It’s been awesome to see him start the way he has. He’s been doing a great job, working extremely hard and I am proud of him. He is a worker and he has got a lot of good basketball ahead of him, and that’s a good combination, so hopefully he continues to get better and continues to live up to the expectations that he is setting for himself. I want to help him and help his growth. He is a great guy, a great teammate and a great player.”
Another aspect of Gallinari’s game that makes him special is his natural ability to make those around him better.
“There’s no doubt he makes us all better as individuals out there and as a team,” said Chris Duhon. “When I am driving to the basket, defenders have to know where he is at all times because if you give him a little room, he will hit the shot. So he opens the lane for me and also makes it easier for David (Lee) to get open for me to hit him down by the basket or cutting to the basket.”
By now, everyone knows Gallinari’s shot is lethal, especially after D’Antoni proclaimed him to be the best shooter he’s ever seen prior to training camp. But the sophomore’s all-around game is having an equally important impact on the team’s success.
In New York’s first win of the season over the Hornets, Gallinari set a new career-high with five assists, hitting the open man with nifty passes as defenders converged on him. On the other side of the ball, he helped establish the team’s defensive intensity with a resounding block of Emeka Okafor to begin the second half, and then knocked the ball away from Peja Stojakovic to seal the victory with an important rebound in the game’s waning seconds.
“I am a complete player, and I have to be that kind of player,” he said in the locker room following the game. “I don’t want to be one dimensional when I play. I want to be many dimensions so the other team doesn’t know what I am going to do.”
“He’s becoming what we envisioned,” boasted a proud D’Antoni, his words echoing his statement from draft night more than a year and a half ago. “He’s making the right play. I know he’s taking a lot of threes, but that’s because he’s 50% all the time, that translates into 75%, continuously. That’s hard to duplicate. But he is taking it to the hole. I’ll think he’ll take it even more as he gets stronger in his career. He just makes the right play. I think he’ll get a lot better defensively. He showed some tenacity. The guy’s got heart and he made big shots and all the stuff that you want. I just hope he gets better. He is getting better.”
Should that be the case and Gallinari elevates his game to an even higher level, the sky’s the limit for what he and the Knicks can accomplish.
"He'll be a 6-foot-11 three-point shooter, runner, ball-handler and passer. He will be tough and he will play hard and he will be intelligent. And that's how you build a team. We're starting with him, and we'll go from there. He's a good talent." – Knicks Head Coach Mike D’Antoni, Draft Day 2008
When the Knicks selected Danilo Gallinari with the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, it was crystal clear to everyone in the room that Knicks brass felt they struck gold, unearthing a valuable piece to the team’s turnaround. Expectations were high, but no one knew how fast a then 19-year old Italian import could adjust to the speed and rigors of the NBA. Throw in an unfortunate back injury that limited his rookie season to just 28 games, it’s understandable that no one knew just what to expect out him in his second season.
Now, just 17 months after NBA commissioner David Stern called his name as the newest New York Knick, the team’s investment in Gallinari is paying dividends quicker, bigger and better than they might have imagined.
One week into the start of the 2009-10 season, the rise of Gallinari is one of the most fascinating and compelling storylines in the league. Following Monday’s 117-112 win over the New Orleans Hornets, “Gallo” is averaging 19.3 points, 4.0 boards and 2.3 assists in 32.3 minutes per game. He ranks first in three-pointers made and 19th in overall points.
It is not only his impressive stat line that has taken the league by storm, however, but also his mentality and the way he plays the game.
“Honestly, I think Gallo is handling it way better than I did” said Wilson Chandler, who last year himself made the successful leap from being a promising rookie to valuable contributor. “I had a tough adjustment from my rookie year to last year, but he is a very confident guy in himself and I think he is going to be a real good player. He already is a real good player.”
There is a palpable buzz in the air whenever the ball is in his hands, and every time he takes the court has become an event at The World’s Most Famous Arena. The adoration between the fans and Gallinari is mutual.
“It is a great feeling.” he said. “I have to thank the Knicks fans and everyone at The Garden. They make me feel special every time I am on the court. I love them.”
As exalted as he is by Knicks fans, Gallinari is equally beloved by his teammates in the locker room.
“I absolutely love him,” said a beaming Al Harrington, who developed a relationship with him almost immediately after coming to New York. “It’s been awesome to see him start the way he has. He’s been doing a great job, working extremely hard and I am proud of him. He is a worker and he has got a lot of good basketball ahead of him, and that’s a good combination, so hopefully he continues to get better and continues to live up to the expectations that he is setting for himself. I want to help him and help his growth. He is a great guy, a great teammate and a great player.”
Another aspect of Gallinari’s game that makes him special is his natural ability to make those around him better.
“There’s no doubt he makes us all better as individuals out there and as a team,” said Chris Duhon. “When I am driving to the basket, defenders have to know where he is at all times because if you give him a little room, he will hit the shot. So he opens the lane for me and also makes it easier for David (Lee) to get open for me to hit him down by the basket or cutting to the basket.”
By now, everyone knows Gallinari’s shot is lethal, especially after D’Antoni proclaimed him to be the best shooter he’s ever seen prior to training camp. But the sophomore’s all-around game is having an equally important impact on the team’s success.
In New York’s first win of the season over the Hornets, Gallinari set a new career-high with five assists, hitting the open man with nifty passes as defenders converged on him. On the other side of the ball, he helped establish the team’s defensive intensity with a resounding block of Emeka Okafor to begin the second half, and then knocked the ball away from Peja Stojakovic to seal the victory with an important rebound in the game’s waning seconds.
“I am a complete player, and I have to be that kind of player,” he said in the locker room following the game. “I don’t want to be one dimensional when I play. I want to be many dimensions so the other team doesn’t know what I am going to do.”
“He’s becoming what we envisioned,” boasted a proud D’Antoni, his words echoing his statement from draft night more than a year and a half ago. “He’s making the right play. I know he’s taking a lot of threes, but that’s because he’s 50% all the time, that translates into 75%, continuously. That’s hard to duplicate. But he is taking it to the hole. I’ll think he’ll take it even more as he gets stronger in his career. He just makes the right play. I think he’ll get a lot better defensively. He showed some tenacity. The guy’s got heart and he made big shots and all the stuff that you want. I just hope he gets better. He is getting better.”
Should that be the case and Gallinari elevates his game to an even higher level, the sky’s the limit for what he and the Knicks can accomplish.
