Finally Pain Free, It's "Full Engine" For Gallinari
by Ricky Henne, nyknicks.com

http://www.nba.com/knicks/news/summerqa09_gallinari.html

Posted Sept 18 2009, 12:00 p.m.

As the weeks tick away to the start of a new season of New York Knicks basketball, NYKnicks.com will sit down with the players, coaches and others closely associated with the team to discuss their thoughts on the outlook for 2009-10.

We continue the series with sophomore star Danilo Gallinari, the Italian sensation who took The Garden by storm and won over the hearts of Knicks fans during his abbreviated rookie campaign.

NYKnicks.com: So first things first, how’s your back?

Danilo Gallinari: It’s good. I feel good and I am able to do anything I want. I have no limitations. Like I said earlier, it is impossible to count how many times I am asked about it (laughs). But it shows people care, so it is ok.

NYKnicks.com: So what’s the biggest difference for you out on the court now that you feel healthy?

Gallinari: I mean, when you play thinking about this pain and are concentrating just on how much it hurts, it is tough. It is nice to be able to concentrate on just playing basketball and being around my teammates. Last year, I would make a play and I would feel a lot of pain. I would finish a play and be like, ‘Oh this hurts. I am in pain.’ But now, I don’t feel that way at all. I don’t even think about it.

NYKnicks.com: What’s your mindset like going into this year?

Gallinari: I think that I have more experience, so I know probably how to handle more situations, like all these games and the travel and other things that were a bit different.

NYKnicks.com: It is only your second season, but big things are expected out of you now that you are healthy. Do you see yourself as a leader?

Gallinari: Yes. Definitely. Every team I have played on, I have always been a leader. It is how I know to play and I want to be important on this team too. I want to be in that role and feel that pressure, because I feel like when you feel pressure you do your best.

NYKnicks.com: Are you expecting to start this year?

Gallinari: I don’t know. We’ll see. I will practice as hard as I can and show to coach that I am ready, but it is up to him. Either way I will contribute and play my hardest and do things to help the Knicks when I am on the court.

NYKnicks.com: Is there anything in particular you are trying to improve?

Gallinari: Everything. I am not working on any one thing, but my game as a whole.

NYKnicks.com: What is your favorite part of being in the NBA?

Gallinari: The NBA! ( laughs) I like everything about it. It is the best basketball in the world. The skill level is the best. The atmosphere. The fans. The players. It is all great.

NYKnicks.com: What was the highlight of your year last year?

Gallinari: Probably against Atlanta. I played a lot of minutes, played really well and hit some big shots.

NYKnicks.com: You were a rookie last year. What kind of advice are you giving Jordan (Hill) and Toney (Douglas)?

Gallinari: I am telling them to compete. They need to concentrate all the time. Concentrate on every practice and concentrate on being healthy and helping the team. They are good players. They have a good future here.

NYKnicks.com: Asides from basketball and getting ready for the season, how was your summer? Any highlights you care to share?

Gallinari: It was nice. I spent time here in New York and also in Italy. When I was Italy, I tried to stay away from basketball. When I was on vacation, I tried to clear my mind and stay away from everything. I wanted focus on relaxing and spending time with my family. It is important to keep a good balance.

NYKnicks.com: You also had a pretty big birthday. How does it feel to be 21? How did you celebrate?

Gallinari: (laughs) It’s good. It’s a good age. I was in Italy with my family so I celebrated with them and enjoyed it. It is not a big deal like it is in America to be 21, but it is a good age and I had a very good birthday.

NYKnicks.com: So when did you get back from being over there?

Gallinari: About two weeks ago.

NYKnicks.com: And you have just been up at the training center working out?

Gallinari: Yup.

NYKnicks.com: Have you seen (President of Basketball Operations) Donnie Walsh or (Head Coach) Mike D’Antoni?

Gallinari: Yeah, they are telling me I look good.

Gallinari.com: Now that we are a couple weeks away from the season starting, is there any game that you are looking forward to more than the others?

NYKnicks.com: No, not at all. Every game is different, but every game is the same. Every one is just as important as the next.

NYKnicks.com: What is the biggest difference between where the team ended last season and where you are going to begin this year?

Gallinari.com: Last year there were a lot of changes and it took a while for us to come together. This year, we are all on the same page. We know each other better and are starting the training camp already knowing each other.

NYKnicks.com: So, as always, we like to finish by giving you a chance to tell the fans anything you want. What do you want to tell them?

Gallinari: In Italy this summer, the message of the Italian summer was “A tutto motore”. It means “full engine” like going ahead full speed. So “full engine”. Everybody “full engine” and let’s get ready for the season.

Gallo is the man, if this kid is healthy, I am sensing a huge season.

We continue the series with sophomore star Danilo Gallinari, the Italian sensation who took The Garden by storm and won over the hearts of Knicks fans during his abbreviated rookie campaign.

We continue the series with budding star Wilson Chandler, who talks about why he isn’t satisfied to rest on his laurels as well as his love of thrill rides.

Cool?

[Edited by - misterearl on 09-19-2009 4:48 PM]

Go Gallo! Go! Full throttle ahead

Knicksdom not that there is anything wrong with your last post but I would up my Alba count if I were you.

Posted by CrushAlot:

Knicksdom not that there is anything wrong with your last post but I would up my Alba count if I were you.

CrushAlot
Posts: 1806
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 24-07-2003

I'd take my own advise if I were you.

Posted by Cosmic:

Until it is January and Gallo has played in 30 odd games pain free and for 20+ minutes per game - does anything anyone have to say on the topic of his health hold any water?

To me it does not.

The rest that is said of him we saw his abilities even if limited last year and it would be tough to watch that and say he won't be a very good player if his health holds up. You can not put a cap on his potential ceiling at this point in time.

Yet, again, let us get past his health issues and in that until he proves it on the court long term there isn't an article or a sound bite from a fan to a writer to a doctor to Gallo himself that holds an ounce of water.

doesn’t present-tense reporting matter? if the report were that he were in pain with limited mobility and that the surgery and rehab hadn't resolved that, we'd have plenty of reason to be very concerned. since the report is the opposite, we have plenty of reason to be very encouraged.

of course, you couldn't foresee the future in either case.

but even with your self-described tendency toward pessimism and crankiness, couldn’t you let a tiny crack of sunlight in through the blinds and take some pleasure in about this news?

<i never like to bust this guy’s balls TOO bad because i love his video-posting of the games >

How many times did we hear Q's back was totally healed?

Posted by Marv:

Posted by Cosmic:

Until it is January and Gallo has played in 30 odd games pain free and for 20+ minutes per game - does anything anyone have to say on the topic of his health hold any water?

To me it does not.

The rest that is said of him we saw his abilities even if limited last year and it would be tough to watch that and say he won't be a very good player if his health holds up. You can not put a cap on his potential ceiling at this point in time.

Yet, again, let us get past his health issues and in that until he proves it on the court long term there isn't an article or a sound bite from a fan to a writer to a doctor to Gallo himself that holds an ounce of water.

doesn’t present-tense reporting matter? if the report were that he were in pain with limited mobility and that the surgery and rehab hadn't resolved that, we'd have plenty of reason to be very concerned. since the report is the opposite, we have plenty of reason to be very encouraged.

of course, you couldn't foresee the future in either case.

but even with your self-described tendency toward pessimism and crankiness, couldn’t you let a tiny crack of sunlight in through the blinds and take some pleasure in about this news?

<i never like to bust this guy’s balls TOO bad because i love his video-posting of the games >

That really says it all, but another recurring issue around here is that the Nattering Nabobs of Negativism (NNN)posters continue to mistake optimism on the part of some people for certainty that his back is healed forever.

I don't think anyone feels 100% sure that Gallinari's back is completely healed, but you can't help but feel optimistic when you hear that he has been playing for the last 2 weeks without restriction and without pain, and according to MDA, he has hit the floor a number of times with no ill effects.

One thing you should also remember from last year- Gallinari was always upfront in describing his pain and how hit was restricting his game. A lot of folks called him a p---y because they figured he should just man up and play through the pain, but he was being honest. Then in the months following the operation he was always being asked about how he felt, and he would say he was much better but not completely free of discomfort from the nerve issue, and a lot of folks would go on about the fact that he still was not 100% free of pain months after the operation, and would therefore never be free of pain, but Gallinari was being honest. Now he is saying that he feels 100% and can do anything he wants on the court without pain or physical restriction from his injury, and some folks are seemingly not satisfied with that, even though he has had a track record of being honest when asked about his physical condition.

The next step is that after 3 years of injury free ball and 2 All-Star appearances, the NNN folks will be saying, "Yeah, he has been good, but lets wait and see if he can play like this for another 7 years before we admit that he was worth the #6 pick. These are the same kind of folks who find an oasis with a well after a week of wandering in the desert without water and complain about sand in the water or that it doesn't taste as good as the Dasani they are used to consuming.

We should all be cautiously optimistic about Gallinari's back and his future as a player, but I sure as hell feel a lot better about his future than I did a few months ago. People should temper their optimism because we all know that back injuries are hard to figure in terms of recovery, but everything we hear so far makes me feel excited about how he will perform this year and the next 10 years.

...Knock on wood.


[Edited by - Paladin55 on 09-20-2009 12:35 PM]

Posted by EnySpree:

Posted by nixluva:

I'm expecting good things from him. Any doubts about him can be wiped away with a healthy season. The only concern I can think of is holding up over 82. If he has been training and getting stronger I see no reason why he can't be an impact player for us. He's basically a less explosive better shooting Lamar Odom IMO. He's big, moves great with the ball has all kinds of weapons that should gove him an edge. One big thing he's got over Odom is he thinks like a star. Some guys have that inner swagger that puts them over the top.

We are in agreement as usual. Hedo Turk is who Gallo is compared to but hes more similar to Odom skill wise. That jumpshot and swagger is what stopped odom from being what he shoulda been, but Odom still has had a great career regardless.

Anyway, go Gallo go! His presence in the rotation makes this team deadly. Larry Hughes is gonna do the same backing up Chandler. Go Knicks!

Hedo is a natural comparison and they are similar, but for me Gallo has more of that Point Forward skill and his handle is more developed like Odom. I thought Odom was gonna be a bit better than he's been, but he's still pretty darn good. I just see Gallo being more of lead player. He actually WANTS to lead, which is the difference between him and a lot of guys with similar talent. I say give him a chance to start and take his lumps. We won't gain anything by not getting him and Chan and our other young guys as much PT as possible early.

As far as his back... look, anything can happen, but I would want him to play 100% and not think about his back. He still has to keep up his regimen of training to strengthen his core and help prevent a recurrence, but for now we should be just as excited as he is about his recovery.

Posted by nixluva:

Posted by EnySpree:

Posted by nixluva:

I'm expecting good things from him. Any doubts about him can be wiped away with a healthy season. The only concern I can think of is holding up over 82. If he has been training and getting stronger I see no reason why he can't be an impact player for us. He's basically a less explosive better shooting Lamar Odom IMO. He's big, moves great with the ball has all kinds of weapons that should gove him an edge. One big thing he's got over Odom is he thinks like a star. Some guys have that inner swagger that puts them over the top.

We are in agreement as usual. Hedo Turk is who Gallo is compared to but hes more similar to Odom skill wise. That jumpshot and swagger is what stopped odom from being what he shoulda been, but Odom still has had a great career regardless.

Anyway, go Gallo go! His presence in the rotation makes this team deadly. Larry Hughes is gonna do the same backing up Chandler. Go Knicks!

Hedo is a natural comparison and they are similar, but for me Gallo has more of that Point Forward skill and his handle is more developed like Odom. I thought Odom was gonna be a bit better than he's been, but he's still pretty darn good. I just see Gallo being more of lead player. He actually WANTS to lead, which is the difference between him and a lot of guys with similar talent. I say give him a chance to start and take his lumps. We won't gain anything by not getting him and Chan and our other young guys as much PT as possible early.

Hmm, I think I would agree with you that Gallo has shown more leadership instincts than Odom has but Odom is a VERY slick ball handler - don't think Gallo has demonstrated that yet. Some goes for the comparison as a Point Forward. Just not there yet. Good potential for both though.