NBA: Ranking all 30 starting small forwards for 2017-18

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images /
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Photo by Jay Metzger/NBAE via Getty Images /

9. Danilo Gallinari, Los Angeles Clippers

The biggest issue with the 29-year-old Danilo Gallinari is his body holding up. Since his ACL tear in 2013, Gallo has missed 82, 23, 29 and 19 games due to injury over the next four seasons — and that’s without even including the 11 games he missed before the ACL tear.

However, there’s no question this Italian wing can put the ball in the hole. A lot of his production comes from the free throw line, but Gallinari is a true mismatch for his strength, build, deceptive quickness, shooting ability and basketball intellect that goads defenders into fouling him time and time again.

Last year, Gallo led the Nuggets in scoring with 18.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from deep. He won’t put up such gaudy numbers on a Los Angeles Clippers team that has Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams, but if he can stay healthy, don’t forget about the Italian Stallion.