Danilo Gallinari perfect for Boston Celtics, this tweet proves it
As the addition of Malcolm Brogdon has Boston Celtics fans excited, the addition of veteran sharpshooter Danilo Gallinari is another reason for excitement as Brad Stevens continues to shape up the roster of the Eastern Conference Champions this offseason.
In need of a scorer off the bench, the Celtics reportedly agreed to terms with the 34-year-old Gallinari who plans to sign a two-year deal with the team. The move came days after the Atlanta Hawks traded Gallinari to the San Antonio Spurs who then bought him out.
As a veteran player seeking an opportunity to win a championship, the Celtics were at the top of Gallinari’s list, which makes this marriage perfect considering he brings to the team exactly what they need: an experienced shooter off the bench.
Danilo Gallinari is exactly what the Boston Celtics bench need
While Gallinari isn’t exactly a young buck, he did average 11.7 points a game last season with the Hawks and is always a player who seemed to have his best offensive nights against the Celtics. Let’s not forget Gallinari is just four seasons removed from his best season in the NBA when he averaged 19.8 ppg with the Los Angeles Clippers.
With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as the primary scorers, the Boston Celtics don’t need that, but similar production to what he did in Atlanta coming off the bench for the C’s should be enough to put them over the top, especially if he can still provide some of the highlights he tweeted after the expected signing was reported.
A new chapter indeed for Gallinari as he hopes he is the missing piece for a championship. His ability to create his own shot and launch it from beyond the stripe will help the Boston Celtics bench tremendously. His size also allows for the team to go small at times.
In all, certainly an upgrade over Theis, but as much as he will give the Celtics offensively, the defensive side of the ball is where NBC Sports Boston writer Chris Forsberg sees to being the downside to the addition of Gallinari.
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In his article, he writes what he believes to be the con in bringing in the veteran sharpshooter:
"“Never more than an average defender and slipping with age, Gallinari immediately would be Boston’s worst defender, though his size negates some of that concern. Opponents shot 48.8 percent against him last season, which was 2.3 percent above expected output.”"
Forsberg went on to write that if Gallinari isn’t knocking down shots, it would be hard for the Celtics to keep him on the floor. With the depth Ime Udoka now must work with, it’s a good problem to have as more nights than not it’s a good bet that he will be a scoring machine off the bench.
To sum it all up, good addition for the Celtics and one that gives them not only more depth, but flexibility in the lineup. Also, adding another veteran to the mix is never a bad thing.