NBA Rumors: Danilo Gallinari says he could have played this season

Would he or wouldn’t he? That was the question regarding Danilo Gallinari‘s playing status for the 2014 season.

The Denver Nuggets sharpshooter tore his ACL late last season and preliminary estimates suggested he would be available to play the past December. That date was pushed back to January and then February before it eventually became March.

Before that could happen though, Gallinari went back under the knife and was ruled out for the season. But Gallo himself says he could have played this season, though was fearful doing so would shorten his career.

"“The knee wasn’t feeling as good as the right one,” Gallinari said. “And when you’re going through the rehab you don’t know if it’s something that is mental or if it’s that is going to get better playing. You don’t know that. And the fact that the MRI that we did wasn’t good, it was the signal that the knee, the fact that I wasn’t feeling as good as the right one, it was just confirmed by the MRI. I could have played, maybe. But it wasn’t good for my long-term career because … the structure of the knee wasn’t there.”"

Gallinari, a six year veteran, underwent his fifth surgery as an NBA player. Hopefully for he and the Denver Nuggets, it will be the last.

He is expected to be ready and completely healthy come the 2014-15 training camp.