Denver Nuggets: Danilo Gallinari Quietly Becoming A Superstar
Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari is finally playing like the superstar they believed he’d become.
When raw talent and potential are combined into a terrific basketball frame, it’s hard to not overhype the possibilities. Such has been the case with 6-foot-10 wing Danilo Gallinari of the Denver Nuggets, who has been a teammate, an injury or a coaching change away from stardom since entering the league back in 2008.
As the No. 6 pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks drooled over the Italian shooter who could play anywhere from shooting guard to center. He’d only play 14.7 minutes per game (28 total games) in his rookie season, but his 44.4 percent clip from the 3-point line and 96.3 percent from the foul line was exactly what folks wanted to see.
In Il Gallo’s second season, he became the full-time starter for the Knicks, scoring 15.1 points per game to go with 4.9 rebounds in 33.9 minutes. His shooting was still solid (38.1 percent from three), but his reliance on jumpers (72.1 percent from outside 16 feet) was a red flag that would only slowly improve throughout his career. Part of it was scheme related, but it was a habit that proved tough to break.
The Knicks gave up on Gallinari during the 2010-11 season — or more accurately sacrificed him — in order to obtain Carmelo Anthony. Once with the Nuggets, Gallinari was used primarily at the power forward spot and as such, he played a lot closer to the basket. It was an adjustment to be sure, as was playing next to J.R. Smith, Ty Lawson, Raymond Felton, Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington — all players who were more than willing to get shots up.
Fast forward through an injury-riddled 2011-12 season and a solid 2012-13 campaign, that unfortunately ended with a torn ACL that cost him all of 2013-14 and we reach the 2014-15 season — which represented the peak of Gallinari’s jumper reliance. Danilo would take the fewest amount of 2-point shots by percentage (47 percent) since his rookie year (42.4) and as such, his field goal percentage was a career-worst 40.1 percent.
Gallinari entered the 2015-16 season healthy, for the first time in years. He also came into the season with a new coach in Mike Malone, who encouraged Gallo to make better use of his fantastic skill set. As is usually the case, it was an adjustment at first and Gallinari struggled. Take a look at the numbers before and after Gallinari injured his ankle on Dec. 20:
| GP | MPG | PPG | RPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | FTA | |
| Pre-Injury | 27 | 34.2 | 17.3 | 6.0 | 38.9 | 37 | 89.6 | 6.7 |
| Post-Injury | 19 | 35.1 | 23.2 | 4.6 | 44.2 | 35.2 | 86.5 | 10.2 |
Like a light being switched on, it occurred to Gallinari that at 6-foot-10 with an excellent shooting stroke, he’d be a nightmare to cover if he tried to draw more contact at or near the basket. He’s not fast — especially after his injuries — but the threat of his shot with his length enables him to get into open space.
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Add to that the knowledge and mentoring from coach Malone and we’re now seeing a new, smarter Gallinari — one that mixes jumpers in with a devastating attack near the basket. Since January 1st, only Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins draws more fouls per game (9.2) than Gallinari (7.5).
It’s no surprise that the Nuggets are playing much better in 2016, as they were 12-21 heading into the new year and are 9-10 since, with eight of those wins coming withing five points. No team has more wins than the Nuggets in games decided by three points or less (8).
A big reason for that success has been the play of Gallinari in the clutch since January 1. With five minutes or less left in the fourth quarter (and the score within five points), Gallinari is No. 3 in the NBA with 14 free-throw makes. His plus-29 during that time is only bested by teammates Emmanuel Mudiay (35) and Will Barton (34), as well as Memphis Grizzlies C Marc Gasol (31) and Dallas Mavericks PG Deron Williams (31).
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Gallinari’s game has evolved into what we’ve always wanted to see — he’s become a slick-shooting, savvy superstar who isn’t afraid of the big moments.