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Danilo Gallinari: The new Face of the Denver Nuggets

When the Denver Nuggets traded Ty Lawson, the team was turning the pages to a new chapter, a new era of Denver Nuggets basketball. Ty Lawson was a skilled basketball player, but his off the court issues prevented him from being the leader the team needed.

Then when Emmanuel Mudiay slipped in the draft, the Nuggets decided to pick him with the 7th overall pick. They cut their losses with Ty Lawson and traded him. Signed Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari to contract extensions. Hoping to move past the last two years of being in mediocrity

Signing both Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari were both good moves on the Nuggets behave, because both players are so skilled and versatile. Although both of them are great signings. Making sure Danilo Gallinari stayed in Denver was a bigger deal for Nuggets fans.

Gallo is the closet thing the Nuggets have to a franchise player. People tend to forget how good of a basketball player he really is. Last year he averaged 18.6 points per game after the All-star break. Earlier in the season you could tell he was still getting into rhythm since it had been almost two years since he played basketball, (He came back from rehabbing a torn ACL.)

He was starting to show people the player that he could be for the Nuggets. His shooting percentages rose from a pedestrian 34% to 44.3% during the second half of the season. In isolation situations he scored a stellar one point per possession and 1.2 points per possession in pick and roll situations. (Data via NBA.com and Synergy Sports.) He even had a couple of 40-point games.

Gallo was showing people he was an even better player now, than he was before he tore his ACL. Standing at 6-10 with a wingspan over 7-feet, with the ability to handle the ball and shoot, he’s a unique player. He can play SF or PF; his ability to play multiple positions makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing 3’s and 4’s.

Whether the Nuggets season this year is successful or not in terms of winning games. One thing is for sure, fans better be tuning in to watch the Nuggets play because Danilo Gallinari is going to be showing basketball fans all over the world that he is still one of the best players at his position.

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