Nuggets’ Danilo Gallinari expects to play in preseason opener
Great news for Denver Nuggets fans.
When the Nuggets open their preseason against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 6th, they expect to have a forgotten face in the lineup: small forward Danilo Gallinari.
The last time Danilo Gallinari was seen on a basketball court, he was being helped off the floor by teammates following an ACL tear. Due to unexpected complications, Gallinari was forced to miss the entire 2013-14 season, throwing off any projections placed on the Denver Nuggets for that year.
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Now that he’s back, the expectations likely come with them.
Unlike last year, these expectations will come at jest. After missing a full season, it would be unreasonable to assume Gallo is the player he was pre-injury — 16.2 points (37 percent from three), 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in ’12-13. He’s got to get his rhythm and touch back as well as mesh with whatever players were added to the team during his absence.
If he can immediately return to that guy, the Nuggets are one of the better teams in the Western Conference. Considering how good the West is, that may not mean much, but the playoffs as the 7th or 8th seed isn’t out of the equation if things fall in order for this group.
All-in-all, it’s good to see Gallo back on the court and surely the Nuggets as an organization feel the same way.
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