The Boston Celtics brought in Danilo Gallinari to bolster wing depth and provide a major scoring punch. As a career 15.6 point per game scorer, Galo certainly has the talent to live up to his role.
Unfortunately, it may have to come after rehab. In a recent game for Team Italy during the World Cup Qualifiers, the Boston swingman appeared to suffer a non-contact knee injury that could have some severe implications on his availability for the upcoming season:
Danilo Gallinari appears to suffer a non-contact knee injury on this play.
Prayers up for Gallo 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/DT5VRHoB2U
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 27, 2022
With the acquisitions of Galo and Malcolm Brogdon, it’s fair to say that the Celtics made some improvements to the roster this summer. They added some shooting and depth that should help them in a big way this season.
Put that alongside Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart, and you’ve got a team that can compete against the best.
It will be interesting to see how Brogdon’s game changes working with Mazzulla, as he’s the best guard to come into the system since Mazzulla was working with Walker in 2019. Mazzulla empowered Walker to shoot first and find his playmaking as a byproduct of hunting his shot, so will Udoka have his staff deliver that same message to Brogdon? The burden on Tatum, Brown and Smart must be eased, but those guys still want their shots. Brogdon is ready to sacrifice but only so much.
Last year, streamlining the menu and establishing a clear pecking order half a season in yielded great results. Boston has enough firepower to be the best team in the league. But there are egos and touches to manage. They’ll be counting on Brogdon to be the one to establish that balance.
If Galo’s knee injury is serious or lingers for a long stretch of time, it could hurt Boston’s overall performance in the East. The good news is that, according to Shams, Galo’s knee scans came back clean.
Still, it was a big scare for Boston, which has to compete against the likes of Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Milwaukee for the Eastern Conference throne.
