Jan

2010

Gallinari Has Found His Mojo

Written by BigC

(By Big C)

It looks like Danilo Gallinari’s game is on the rise. Yes, you can say his teammates are looking to give him the ball more. However, I think it is more than just that. Danilo Gallinari is moving around more on the court. In the past we just saw Danilo stand in one place waiting for the ball to come to him. This is not the case right now. What I have seen is a player come off screens and cuts to the hole. No longer am I seeing Gallinari staying in one place like a statue. He is actively moving making himself a threat on the court. Not only that but if the shot is available he is going to take it. In the past he would pass up the shot.

Danilo Gallinari now has the attitude of “I want the ball so I am going to go get it.” If not he will try to free himself up. The bottom line is Gallo has been more aggressive on the offensive end of the court. When a player is more aggressive his teammates will naturally try to look for them. Being passive will get you nowhere in a league where players are fighting for roster spots and their career, day in and day out. If the shot is not falling Danilo Gallinari has been driving hard to the hole and picking up fouls. I have also noticed him cutting baseline and completing back door plays.

Danilo Gallinari has a new attitude as part of the package. We have witnessed him dunk on Hibbert and go into a Bruce Lee “Enter the Dragon” stance and shoot critical daggers to bring the Knicks to victory. I don’t know if it’s because he’s watching basketball video’s like the Larry Bird tape or Kung Fu Joe. The bottom line is he’s playing with a passion to win. He could miss 3 shots in a row and still comeback and still shoot with confidence. There is no shame in his game.

The thing that I am most excited about is Danilo Gallinari’s defense. In the month of December and this month so far I have seen Gallinari staying with his man. Most important small guards have had a hard time shaking off the 6’ll forward. We all know that Jared Jeffries has the ability to stay with guards off the dribble but I think Gallo could also help out in that department. Last month Danilo said he wants to be an all-around-player. Well it looks like he’s acting on it and not just saying things to sound clever or cute. He is also a big part in help defense and getting defensive rebounds.

Overall, I like the progress and swagger that Danilo Gallinari is bringing.