Gallo: The most important man in NY sports???

What's good y'all!!

You all know I've been unabashedly saying all along that Gallo will be an All-Star caliber talent.

This article is pretty interesting and fits nicely with my thinking on what The Roaster can and needs to do..


Danilo Gallinari: the Most Important Man in New York Sports
By Mike A (Featured Columnist) on August 29, 2010
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Derek Jeter, Mark Sanchez, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Eli Manning, CC Sabathia, Amar'e Stoudemire, Robinson Cano, Darrelle Revis, Justin Tuck, John Tavares, David Wright.

When you think New York superstars, those are the first names that come to mind.

And for good reason; these guys are some of the brightest stars in all of sports.

However, the name of the most important athlete in the Empire State doesn't lie anywhere within the aforementioned names.

The most important man in New York sports is Knicks swingman Danilo Gallinari.

You heard me!

I'll get right down to explaining this as the mobs form outside my house.

In New York, we're as passionate about our sports teams as anybody. We love our Yankees, Rangers, Islanders, Mets, Jets, and so on.

However, despite what recent events may suggest, New York is a basketball town.

Ask any New Yorker over the age of 25, the Knicks owned the '90s in New York. The Yankees and Rangers were both arguably more successful, but the Garden was rocking every time Pat Ewing slammed one down or John Starks pocketed a three.

But things have changed since then. The Knicks have become an embarrassment of an organization, and baseball has taken the title of New York's favorite sport.

In baseball, the fans are split between the Yankees and Mets. In football the Giants and Jets garner nearly equal fan-bases, and on the ice rink the Rangers have a slightly bigger fanbase than the Islanders.

If you're a basketball fan in New York, the Knicks were your team. Period. You lived and died with them.

That's why basketball has fallen from the spotlight in the city that never sleeps.

New Yorkers have absolutely no trust in the Knicks' front office.

Never was this more evident than at the 2008 NBA Draft.

With the sixth pick in that season's draft—their first lottery pick since 2005 because of horrible trades—the Knicks selected Italian forward Danilo Gallinari.

Knick fans booed. They wanted Eric Gordon, they wanted Brook Lopez, they wanted anybody but "the Rooster."

They never gave the 6'10" sharpshooting Italian a chance. The Garden erupted with boos from the second he was drafted, even after he insisted in an interview right after being selected that he valued nothing but winning and hard work.


In his first season as a pro in 2008, Gallinari suffered from back injuries and only appeared in 28 games.

It was right then that Knick fans filed him as a bust. Any Knicks fan you asked would have more than a few four-letter words to say when Danilo Gallinari's name came up.

The next season, Gallinari was able to stay healthy as he averaged a very solid 15 points per game while shooting 38 percent from deep.

It was then that Knicks fans realized how talented this guy was.

However, nobody was sure just how good he'd be.

Some believed he would be the perfect Robin to another superstar's Batman, while others believed he would never amount to being anything more than a sharpshooting role player.

He headlined the roster as the historic summer of 2010 approached. Some criticized him, saying there was no way he'd be enough to lure LeBron to town, while others believed he'd be the key chip in making the King take his thrown in New York.

It didn't happen.

The Knicks instead brought in a flurry of solid players to complement the core that was already in place.

They of course brought in their superstar in Amar'e Stoudemire, but they also added Raymond Felton, Roger Mason, Timofey Mozgov, Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike, and Ronny Turiaf.

So that raises the question, what makes Danilo Gallinari the most important man on the Knicks, let alone New York sports?

Allow me to elaborate.

We know Amar'e Stoudemire is going to be good. But we all know that he will never touch the Kobe-LeBron-Durant stratosphere.

We've seen him peak. It's going to take much more than him to lure other superstars to the Big Apple.

Wilson Chandler is another intriguing name, but most people, me included, believe he's reached his ceiling.

Anthony Randolph is a guy who has a ridiculous upside, but he's still very raw and a few years away from reaching his superstar potential.

Raymond Felton is also a very good player, but he's like Chandler; what you see is what you get.

So who does that leave? Gallo.

How will Danilo Gallinari fare next season?

The Knicks No. 1 Option
The Perfect Robin to Amar'e Stoudemire's Batman
The Same As Last Season
He'll Regress From Last Season
Submit Vote vote to see results
If Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, or Deron Williams are going to take their talents East, they're going to need to see something better than what the Knicks have right now.

Gallinari's development could be that something better.

If Danilo can turn into a go-to scorer (I'm talking 20 a game, and ability to score at will) and play halfway decent defense, a core of him and Amar'e should not only get the Knicks into the playoffs for the first time in half a decade, but it could also entice more stars to join forces with them on the suddenly cap friendly Knicks, in hopes of beating Miami Thrice.

However, if Gallinari remains where he is now talent-wise, not only will the Knicks struggle to win 35 games, but the city that was once known as the "Mecca of Basketball" will continue to move closer towards being a basketball Siberia.

Yes, Gallinari is that important.

Especially with the Nets move to Brooklyn expected in 2012, a Gallinari failure could officially bury the Knicks.

Most New Yorkers consider Gallo a C-list athlete.

But just remember, this C-list athlete may very well be the most important man in New York sports.





I'm hoping that Gallo will emerge as the leader of our Knicks. It's easy to see he has the nuts and the game to do it, unless you're half blind.

If we become a playoff team and make a bit of noise it'll primarily be because Gallo steps up his game. I really think he will.

Gallo needs to be the focal point if we're going get a foothold in the East this year!

Great find & great article! Gallo is truly the key. When the Nets move to BK I'll hate them even more and I didn't even know that was possible.

most important, yes, in being a trade asset for the right superstar. I'd be suprised to see him in a Knicks uniform longer than Lee.

I really hope Gallo breaks out this year, it is realyonly a matter of time.

BUT

If he continues to struggle because of his laid back mental apporach, as suppose to the few moments were he got mad and took over basketbal games, then I question whether it is worth keeping him and waiting years while we can use him in a trade for someone better.

With Amare, we will truly see if Gallo can hit shots consitently.

Finally with a low post presence, Gallo should get even more open shots, and if I see Gallo brick open shots...then he is gone.

Randolph might have more potential than Gallo, but he has to stay healthy. Hopefully by adding 20 pounds of muscle, randolph will be more durable.

Chandler has to stay healthy as well. He could never improve his game because every off season he gets hurt. Chandler has been staying still for 2 years with his development.

Gallo, Randolph, and Chandler can all one day be great.....odds are Gallo breaks out first, Randolph 2nd, and Chandler will break out the latest due to his low IQ.

gallo, very slow

players go right by him. He's too slow for the small forward position. Can't believe some on here say he can be a two, lol. Yes laughable.
I hope he has been lifting a lot of weights because he can only make it if he postitons himself on defense and covers only 4's. Amar'e has to play the 5 or in some cases Gallo. Now, Anthony can play the 3.

Wrong On So Many Levels

Toby Kimbal said:

players go right by him. He's too slow for the small forward position. Can't believe some on here say he can be a two, lol. Yes laughable.
I hope he has been lifting a lot of weights because he can only make it if he postitons himself on defense and covers only 4's. Amar'e has to play the 5 or in some cases Gallo. Now, Anthony can play the 3.

Click to expand...

Can you list small forwards that blow right past him?
Its not only people on here that suggest he can be a 2, the conversation was started by an article that suggested that, and it made sense if the team runs a 2-3 zone, or even a 1-3-1. We would have the tallest and longest starting 5 in the nba. What gallo lacks in the speed department, he makes up with his iq and hounding defense.
You then say gallo should play the 4? really now? the 4? so he can guard the likes of carlos boozer, chris bosh, dirk, garnette, etc? gee....
Amare is not playin centre.

AND YOUR STARTING 5 IS?

Felton
Chandler
Anthony
Gallo
Amare

= 27 wins

dirk, bosh and boozer he would have a better chance of covering. He's 6 10 so he should be able to cover those guys. You see even you say he can't cover those guys, he can't cover the 3's either and he sure will not be able to cover the 2's. I seen him cover James last yr, he was positioning himself at the foul line, james was at the top of the key and still went by Gallo, then D'antoni says after the game how well he covered James. Now that was the funniest thing i heard all yr from anywhere.

He tries to cover, he should get better, good thing he has some defensive players on the club now like Randolph and Amar'e that can give help.

this writer

wasn't he the writer that said it was a good move that Detroit took Darko ahead of Mello

Gallo's development could determine whether we are a contender or a pretender in the next few years. If Gallo reaches his ceiling (and Randolph reaches his ceiling) our team is impossible to guard. If not...well...I don't know.

Toby Kimbal said:

wasn't he the writer that said it was a good move that Detroit took Darko ahead of Mello

Click to expand...

LOL... well, truth is he wouldnt be the only one suckered into believing in Darko.

Gallo would be paralyzed if he had to guard someone like Boozer. It would be irresponsible for us to play him against the stronger PFs.

And why do people insist on Amar'e at the 5? It's been clearly established that he will be playing the 4 (and please don't argue that Randolph is also playing the middle because he looks like Marcus Camby).

Gallo definitely needs to work on his defense to guard guys like Lebron, Durant and Melo. He has some skills, but definitely needs much more polishing on that end.

And I agree... if Gallo does blossom out to his potential, the Knicks would rule this town more than the Yankees, Jets and Rangers combined.

Ok, now for the flip side of this argument, please let's turn over to Kiyaman who will remind us of how much D'Antoni and Gallo suck, and how much we miss Jordan Hill, Balkman and Channing Frye.

LMFAO, I almost coughed up a lung reading this comic strip of a thread.

If he's the most important man in NY sports then you would think that NY was having some very tough times in sports, but they're not. Actually the knicks have been the worst NY team in the last couple of years. Talk about delusional. How someone can say Gallo is the best player in NY...over the players on the yankees, giants, and jets...are still skipping around in Wonderland. I would go so far to say that Cappie Ponddexter from the "Liberty" is better than the "Shallow Gallo". You guys need to get your faces out of those fake chrystal balls. Wait until the season starts before you further embarrass yourselves with this nonsense. The comedy act was funny the first few weeks of the summer but now it is clearly a sad and tired routine of wishful thinking.

There's nothing wrong with being supportive, but don't try to turn opinions into facts, especially when the factual evidence is lacking. However, if you are making these jokes up to pass the time...then please continue. I understand the average Knicks fan is in need of some lite hearted fun to blow off some steam...just becareful of believing in lies. Propaganda is everywhere these days, and it would be much appreciated (atleast by me) that it's kept out of sports. Thanks in advance. lol, hilarious...

Real NY Baller said:

LMFAO, I almost coughed up a lung reading this comic strip of a thread.

If he's the most important man in NY sports then you would think that NY was having some very tough times in sports, but they're not. Actually the knicks have been the worst NY team in the last couple of years. Talk about delusional. How someone can say Gallo is the best player in NY...over the players on the yankees, giants, and jets...are still skipping around in Wonderland. I would go so far to say that Cappie Ponddexter from the "Liberty" is better than the "Shallow Gallo". You guys need to get your faces out of those fake chrystal balls. Wait until the season starts before you further embarrass yourselves with this nonsense. The comedy act was funny the first few weeks of the summer but now it is clearly a sad and tired routine of wishful thinking.

There's nothing wrong with being supportive, but don't try to turn opinions into facts, especially when the factual evidence is lacking. However, if you are making these jokes up to pass the time...then please continue. I understand the average Knicks fan is in need of some lite hearted fun to blow off some steam...just becareful of believing in lies. Propaganda is everywhere these days, and it would be much appreciated (atleast by me) that it's kept out of sports. Thanks in advance. lol, hilarious...

Click to expand...

Did you read the article? I'll just jump ahead and answer for you, because clearly the answer is a resounding "No". The article was not about who is the best athlete in NY, or even the best at his/her particular sport. It is about who is the most important and in terms of importance, a lot of the Knicks success in the next decade is tied inexorably to Gallinari's performance. The question of who is BEST is not the same as who is most IMPORTANT. The Knicks might, over the next decade, live or die by how close to his ceiling Gallinari can get, no other player in NY has that sort of influence over his entire team...

Your entire argument is about who is best. However, that was not what was posited by the article. It's obvious you either did not read the article, or did not understand it in any way, shape or form. Next time try understanding what the topic is about before you go making a foolish comment.

That’s a Negative. Trust me, I know where the OP was getting at. Let me make it simple 4u, kblack25….Assuming that Gallo will be the important man in NY during trade talks/ before the season... is foolish.

His shine (last year) came from the coach giving him the green light…all the while hindering the rest of the team. Only elite players get this type of praise, he didn’t win any championships or help his team win a decent amount of games. You can debate all you want, but the facts remain that he’s an average player that only look simi-talented on an un-inspired team. The NY media always hypes up the sport activities in this town, NYer’s should know this by now.
<O
A boney 6 foot 10 role player chucking up inconsistent three’s is in no way near the future of NY…Yall should be ashamed of yourselves to even think this….especially at this time.

Real NY Baller said:

That’s a Negative. Trust me, I know where the OP was getting at. Let me make it simple 4u, kblack25….Assuming that Gallo will be the important man in NY during trade talks/ before the season... is foolish.

His shine (last year) came from the coach giving him the green light…all the while hindering the rest of the team. Only elite players get this type of praise, he didn’t win any championships or help his team win a decent amount of games. You can debate all you want, but the facts remain that he’s an average player that only look simi-talented on an un-inspired team. The NY media always hypes up the sport activities in this town, NYer’s should know this by now.
<o>
A boney 6 foot 10 role player chucking up inconsistent three’s is in no way near the future of NY…Yall should be ashamed of yourselves to even think this….especially at this time.

Click to expand...

Mark Sanchez got that kind of praise about being "important"...is he elite?
Jeter in 1996 got this kind of praise about being "important"...was he elite back then?
Ewing got that kind of praise when he came into the league about being "important"...was he elite the second he was drafted?

You still misunderstand the difference between important and best/highest potential. You still are talking about current skill set when that is irrelevant to the argument at hand. His development is important because if he does not develop well he is not a trade chip and is a waste of a draft pick. If he does develop and hits his ceiling all of a sudden we have a perennial all-star AND a top flight 3. You are still misunderstanding what the term important means. What team's future hinges as much on one player's development as much as the Knicks' future hinges on the development of Gallinari? The very fact that you think we are doomed because you think Gallo will be bad just goes to prove the point that Gallo's growth is important even if his skill set isn't the best.

And you obviously don't get the original point because if you did you wouldn't be talking about Cappie Poindexter and other players in NY being "better" or "the best" skill wise...

RealNYBaller said:

</o>How someone can say Gallo is the best player in NY

Click to expand...

"How can someone actually read the article and get that statement out of it?" is a better question.
<o>


</o>

MSGhobo247 said:

Great find & great article! Gallo is truly the key. When the Nets move to BK I'll hate them even more and I didn't even know that was possible.

Click to expand...

Yea, Gallo is the key. His development is crucial to our success more than any other player on the team. I think Felton comes in a close second. He needs to digest the PG position in this offense and show and prove he can run it right -- very important. But Gallo can be a game closer and pace us w scoring throughout a game.

Toby Kimbal said:

players go right by him. He's too slow for the small forward position. Can't believe some on here say he can be a two, lol. Yes laughable.
I hope he has been lifting a lot of weights because he can only make it if he postitons himself on defense and covers only 4's. Amar'e has to play the 5 or in some cases Gallo. Now, Anthony can play the 3.

Click to expand...

You sir obviously have not seen Gallo play D. I've seen this man cut Derek Rose off from driving into the lane. He can guard smaller quicker players. He has very good lateral quickness and decent quickness in general, not speed, for someone 6'10''. He blocks shots. He's a solid defender. You're just flat out wrong.

I was watching the Mike D'antoni show and the trainers used this measuring tool that determines and rates a players ability to move side-to-side, or laterally.

Anyway, Gallo's rating was the best on the team, no joke.

He's dare I say, deceptively quick.

^^LOL, too funny.

KBlack25...
When reading the topic title, then reading the OP about how important it is for Gallo to help the Knicks clearly insinuates the Knicks keeping him on the roster this year. And it clearly depicts certain optimism for the guy. The topic and its continents is not only misleading but is clearly expression opinions of a FAN. This assessment is fan fair.


I know Gallo is over rated, and I believe we can do better without him because he is not good enough to be giving special attention/privileges. Ship him out and there will be no need to talk about how important he will be for the knicks. The Knicks will benefit more by removing the obvious impending favoritism, and replace it with a more proven and accommodating player. I don?t know why some fans think this tall dude (whose only true contribution comes from lurking around the three point line) will be an elite player. I just don't see it. I guess time will tell thou, but I?m not willing to take that gamble. The Knicks can do better and I have a strong feeling they will very soon. All the more reason why I feel this thread is inappropriate?but, I kind of forgot this was a fan forum so reasoning will often be evaded.

<O

Obviously the piece is an opinion of a fan, that's why they are called Op-Eds.

No one is saying how important he will be in the future for the Knicks. Again and again you misunderstand the point. What he does, whether he succeeds or fails, is important to the team. That statement does not mean anyone is saying in the future this guy will be an important piece of a winning puzzle. They are saying what he does, his ceiling as high as it is or his floor as low as it is, whatever he hits is more important to this team going forward than any other player on the team and any other player in New York. What player's future development (besides maybe Mark Sanchez) into either a star, scrub or somewhere in between, has as much bearing on whether or not the team will be good. Right now, Gallinari's trade value is not very high, and is certainly not higher than his potential. He will be on the team either to sink or swim...and this will be the year we see what the result is. Should he swim, and make himself into a much better player (as he potentially can be at his young age), then we have either a much larger trade chip or a very very good player, and we can make a move or two to truly contend. If he sinks, then we are a perennial 8 seed at best with one star (and maybe AR) and that's it. How is that not swing not important.

For the last time: The article is not about to what extent Gallinari succeeds. The article is about, quite clearly and obviously to those with functional brains, how much Gallinari's success or lack thereof swings this team in either direction. What other player's development in New York is as important to the future of his team? There's an argument for Sanchez, there's an argument maybe for AR along the same lines...other than that I don't know who else in NY that is young, developing and where his talent will take him is unclear, that is as important.

KBlack, it's obvious he didn't read the article the first time and he's just trying to cover it up. Forget it. He won't admit it. He'll keep arguing HIS opinion on how crappy HE THINKS Gallo is. Not the premise of the article.

Real NY Baller said:

... The topic and its continents...

Click to expand...

jajajjaa.. huge topic!!!

Gallo does way more than lurk around the three-line dude. Being such a sharpshooter, its natural he stand around the three-line to keep defenses on their toes, but that doesn't mean he isn't a classic triple-threat. He shoots it standing still, he can dribble and shoot and he can take it to the hole with authority (ask Roy Hibbert).

On defense, he is active, can block shots and initiate fast breaks.

The article definitely didn't glorify him as the best athlete in town... but it is on target saying that he has the potential to turn this team around and take it to its rightful place in NYC sports... I love my Yankees but the Big Apple is blue and orange!!! (and that should be a T-Shirt!!!)

Real NY Baller said:

^^LOL, too funny.

[COLOR=black]KBlack25...[/COLOR]
When reading the topic title, then reading the OP about how important it is for Gallo to help the Knicks clearly insinuates the Knicks keeping him on the roster this year. And it clearly depicts certain optimism for the guy. The topic and its continents is not only misleading but is clearly expression opinions of a FAN. This assessment is fan fair.


I know Gallo is over rated, and I believe we can do better without him because he is not good enough to be giving special attention/privileges. Ship him out and there will be no need to talk about how important he will be for the knicks. The Knicks will benefit more by removing the obvious impending favoritism, and replace it with a more proven and accommodating player. I don’t know why some fans think this tall dude (whose only true contribution comes from lurking around the three point line) will be an elite player. I just don't see it. I guess time will tell thou, but I’m not willing to take that gamble. The Knicks can do better and I have a strong feeling they will very soon. All the more reason why I feel this thread is inappropriate…but, I kind of forgot this was a fan forum so reasoning will often be evaded.

<O

Click to expand...

Well, what did you expect?? Oh I forgot you never talk about the players you like and what you think they will do.. That must be alot of fun.

I ain't afraid to say WHAT I THINK about a player. If I'm wrong I'll come out and admit it like a man.

Keep believing Gallo is here cause of favoritism if you want. The boy is good. I can see that and so can many others on this board.

I believe he will prove you wrong and I don't think he will be traded.

I really really hope he isn't anyway.