It hasn’t been the start Danilo Gallinari wanted. And Wednesday he added an injury to the list of problems he has endured in the first two months back to basketball after a knee injury had him out 19 months.
Gallinari has soreness in his right knee after a couple of bruises. He’s day to day until his hurting calms down.
“The guy was out 19 months,” Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said. “He’s still experiencing a little bit of pain. He’s not back to the level he wants to be at.”
Shaw suspects Gallinari has tried to play through it but finally needed to rest. Aside from a few instances, Gallinari has struggled in his first season back from ACL surgery, posting averages of just 6.7 points while shooting career lows from the field (32.8 percent) and 3-point line (28.2 percent).
“In terms of his play, I don’t think it’s a secret to anybody that he’s struggled,” Shaw said. “He’s not shooting a high percentage from the field, and I think the one thing if he’s out there on the floor that he has to be able to bring is hitting shots when he’s open.
“It’s been a struggle for Gallo shooting the ball. I’m sure his shooting percentage is probably the lowest it’s ever been in his career. But defensively, just kind of keeping up with the speed of the game has been tough for him as well. So when he gets right and he’s feeling better and he’s playing better, he’ll play more.”
Not getting easier. The upcoming schedule soon turns really difficult for the Nuggets, who in their next four games meet the Houston Rockets twice, the defending champion San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers. Those teams entered Wednesday with a combined 47-15 record.
“Not to look ahead, but we have our work cut out for us in terms of what will be coming (up),” Shaw said.
