Rate Gallinari’s Year…

D= better than expected

Assists = worse

3 point % = way worse than expected

post up game= better (but needs to do it more)

Shot selection= worse

driving= as expected

I gave him a 9. I think he has exceeded all expectations based on last years injury-riddled season. Sure, he’s disappeared for long stretches, is maddeningly inconsistent, his passing has been worse than expected along with his ball-handling, but in all other aspects he has improved dramatically.

Last year I would have never in a million years guessed he would actually be at worst case a solid defender. He’s shown decent ability to draw fouls and cause mismatches, has much better post-up ability then I would have expected, and is just a tough player who rises to the moment.

His inconsistency is bad, but its also an effect of the offensive system. The guy somehow has one of the lowest usage ratings on the team, which is just a joke. Coach and teammates have to do a better job of getting him the ball, and he has to do a better job working for the ball.

I think we give him a full offseason to work out and improve, and hopefully acquire a play-maker that can get him the ball and we could have a really good Stojakovich/Schrempf/Rashard Lewis type player on our hands. Im happy with that.

I think the offense should have been run through him rather than Lee all year.

_’antoni is going to push hard to keep _avi_ around for next year I believe.

I gave Gallinari a 5, mostly due to the “coach’s” failure to make use of him and his full variety of skills in order to build his confidence or accelerate his development.

Couldn’t agree more. The coach has done a miserable job running the offense through him. Maybe Gallo deserves lower than a 9 for his lack of aggressiveness and consistency, but like you said the coach needs to be somewhat responsible for not running the offense through him as much as it should have.

i give him a eight.
Perfect third piece on a playoff team next year.
Expecting 17.5 6.5 4.5 nxt year.

“His assists numbers are down…”

If they would have passed him the ball more often, I’m sure he would have passed it back more often.

I gave him an 8. He had to find his niche on the floor with guys who did not pass him the ball consistently. He camped out and launched for 3/4 of the season, and drove to the basket for the last quarter. He took the toughest defensive assignments, and never took an easy one to focus on scoring. He has swagger to him than any Euro since Detlef Schrempf. I believe he will be a star in two or three years, and he get the other two points when he becomes more ascertive with his team mates on the floor.

“_’antoni is going to push hard to keep _avi_ around for next year I believe.”

Next year and beyond. I think they brought in a real center to lower Lee’s numbers for the last few games. Teams with cap space are watching and evaluating, and Lee doesn’t have time to reacclimate his game and his numbers to the new position before the season is over. He is looking like a 13 and 10, 8-9 mil a year power forward right now. If he stays in that range, he is part of the plan C (or D) along with two tier twos and cap space left over.

An eight, a nine? Granted Gallo had brilliant flashes during the year and came on toward the end of the season, but I don’t know how anyone who knows basketball can think he had a season that is an eight or nine on a scale of 1-10. No way!

I think Gallo can develop into a legitimate star with a couple of more seasons under his belt. He has surprised me with his better than expected defense and and basketball smarts. In fact, I think he is a better player at this stage than Dirk Nowitzki was.

so you guys blame the coach for Gallo not having a better year?

lol…jeez man.

The idea of expectations and rating a year, to me, is to think of what you would have signed for before the season started.

not the maximum possible output. if you gave him a five then you expected 20, 10 and 5 for a guy who you said was a probable bust.

you take any chance to knock the coach…

the scale is based on whatever your pre-season expectations were for him. Its not like a comparison of him to the rest of the league or something like that.

i gave him a 7, strictly due to the fact he isn’t consistent enough, i can count on one hand how many times he carried this team on his back…and it really comes down to 2 games, one against boston, and one against denver…what does this guy has to get hit in his mouth to take over???lol…next year he needs o get a lil stronger, get a lil more consistent, and i think he’ll be fine….i can see him averaging 20 next yr…..

the moment that defined gallo as a player to me was when he stood up to carmelo knowing full well carmelo could take the game over and beat us…he rose to the occasion and had a monster 3rd quarter that led us to that victory…If you got balls like that to call out one of the NBA’s best and then deliver a win then you can remain a knick!…the kid has heart, period.

Good post.

I agree with HaS above, as well. You saw what Gallo has done recently in games when Lee, TMac, Harrington, and co. have either been out due to injury, or have taken a back seat. It’s baffling that the offense wasn’t run through Gallo more this year, or at the very least, D’A could’ve featured more sets with him in the post on (usually) smaller defenders. Honestly, I think a lot of Gallo’s inconsistencies have resulted from either terrible gameplans, or offenses being run through Lee/Duhon/McGrady (shoot me). He certainly needs to be more aggressive, but it also has to be hard playing with veterans in contract years who are determined to dominate the ball and put up stats for themselves. TMac’s quote the other day was pretty telling, I thought – something like “I don’t care how I play, I just care about my health.” That could explain him standing at the 3 point line chucking up line drives, and not caring about aiding in the development of the team’s young players.

9.

Considering last year seemed a flop, this year exceeded expectations.

He has plenty of room to grow and can get a lot better, but that wasn’t the question… For his first full year, he did quite well. Handles pressure well.

He has off nights and wasn’t always involved in the offense, especially when the vets were playing more.

His assists were lower than Tommy’s expectations, but I didn’t have the same expectations there. He had a decent amount of blocks, which was great.

Moreover, he looked like a good young leader at times.

Yes I certainly blame the coach, at least a little for Gallo not having a better year. Just look at his Usage rating, its ridiculously low for someone of his talent. I think its 12th on the team.

We’ve all watched this year as Chris Duhon and David Lee played a 2-man game that froze everyone out of the offense, except for the times when Al harrington was in, and we all know what happens there.

I think Gallo could certainly have better assist numbers if the team allowed him to run a pick and roll with Lee once in a while, and would have better overall scoring numbers if in games where his shot was off he was allowed to post up or better yet the coach actually called a play to get him in the post.

But we’ve seen all year…the only play the coach calls is pick and roll with some minor variations. Or he doesn’t call plays and Al harrington just goes 1 on 5.

+1 to both posts. Those both function as better responses to Tommy then what I came up with. I couldn’t agree more, and again with HaS also.

Gallo is probably the only player on this team worth keeping around. I still think he and chandler cannot be on the same floor together and that they should recognize this and trade Chandler for the rights to rubio (suggestion). However, if the knicks are bent on keeping the overrated chandler Gallo needs to spend the off season building up strength because he will need to be able to play PF on a consistent basis. I really look at this as Gallo’s true rookie year. He hit a rookie wall earlier but i think next year he will have the stamina and the strength. If walsh is will to part with Chandler come draft time the knicks could be much closer to a winning team. Maybe, walsh could package chandler with a second rounder to move up in the draft to snag a Center like Whitehead. Who is exactly the type of big man the Knicks need a 7 footer who blocks shots and runs the floor. A starting line up with Whitehead at C, Gallo at PF, would be very intriguing for a free agent.

dirk has admitted this. he thinks gallo is beter than him at this stage.

Like I said, if anyone knows basketball, if you think he performed at an level eight, juxtaposing how well to how bad he performed, personal opinion or not, it tells me, when you compare the two, that If you come up with an eight your just a Gallo fan not a objective observer of his full performance. He did not have a good year, he had good games, but that is it. Maybe if his entire season next year is like his end season performance this year he’ll be an eight.

My Bad his name is Whiteside haha whatever

I would have given him a 7.5, so I rounded up.

I have been very impressed with his defense, competativeness and ability to draw fouls.

Sometimes he settles for 3′s too much and hasn’t showed his ball handling and passing skills enough.

I credit the coach for getting him to take the ball to the hole more. Much like Chandler who took too many 3′s early in his career, Gallo has shown over the latter part of the season a willingness to go strong to the cup and draw important fouls on the opposing bigs.

While I think he is better at the 4, his size, decent relative quickness and savy would allow him to start at the 3 if we resign Lee or land Bosh and bring in a true center, a la Okafor or Camby.

Part of evaluating a guy who is pretty much a rookie is taking into account how he developed over the year. Therefore, the last half of the season should have more weight.

I thought he had a good year because he improved as the year went along. Then add that to pre-season expectations and he isn’t too far away from MY expectation.

I agree that a nine is high, and an eight is pushing it. I had him between a 7 and 8.

8.

Coming into the season I expected 15 points per game, 5 rebounds per game and 3 assists per game. Some people said that I was delusional, I guess Danilo Gallinari exceeded their expectations. He has always been a great prospect in my eyes and I knew that he was going to be a solid NBA player right away.

Bad : Lack of consistency, takes way too many 3-pointers, doesn’t take advantage of mismatches on a consistent basis, lack of aggressiveness on the road.

Good : Intangibles, balls (no homo), swagger, good defense, great basketball IQ, takes care of the basketball, ability to go to the FT line, jumpshot.

I think Mike D’Antoni has done a better job as of late – he wants him to develop his offensive game and his shot selection and he didn’t say no when Gallo wanted to guard the best players in the NBA.

I really don’t think Gallo at this point is a guy you run the offense through. He is not quick enough to get a step on his man on the perimeter without having the ball kicked to him.

And what is also a problem is that his rating seems inflated, because what is there to compare him to, last years performance, what performance? He played how much last year?, All he had to do was step on the court and play and he will have out exceeded what hid did last year. I guess under those circumstances, being compared to last years performance he is an eight, but just based upon his overall play this year, 5.5 – 6 tops.

yep, as usual Mucha, unlike Fox News you are actually “fair and balanced”

I think its fair to include the “Coach” in this evaluation.

many times we’ve talked about not getting Gallo the ball, not including any plays designed for him and seeing him standing in the corner waiting for a kick out pass.

I gave him an 8 based on him largely exceeding my expectations.

No way did i forsee him playing 77 plus games. He has looked a bit stiff at times but made it through his first NBA season largely unscathed.. That in itself is a victory and worthy of a better than average grade.

i would have liked to see him initiate the offense more instead of Lee.. and would have liked to see more motion and screens rather than waiting for the ball 26 feet from the hoop.

But overall we can build on him. And I would still not make him untouchable should the right deal present itself this off season.

bro, I think you are missing the point of the question.

What did you expect from Gallo before the start of the season? Has he played up to YOUR expectations, regardless of what your expectations are based on.

True, but though it is technically not his rookie year in a way it is, and he has definitely show improvement, if he can do this for most of next year I could say he is a solid eight, not yet. I was not that long ago everyone had his hitting the rookie wall, so to speak.

I guess my point is if he never really played much last year how high were any expectations! what could you expect, you have to see him relay seen him play before, can one expect him to improve or see him get worst if he every really played? That’s all I’m saying.

I give him a 7 and the kid is right on schedule. I only think he will be as good or a little better than Tony Kucoc (BULLS) and that is a very good third option to have on your team. He will never be a Dirk so stop the high expectations. He is a very valuable asset. He can be traded or he can be a sidekick to a star player.

But Nowitzki had a bigger/stronger/more athtletic body which is why Gallinari will not reach Dirk’s level IMO.

Tommy Dee is always defending this stupid coach with that stupid mustache. D’Antoni is one of the reason why the Gallo struggles. The other reason is Al Bucketts.

struggles from what tho? What were your expectations before coming in and has he met and exceeded them? Easy question.

It’s not about how much better he SHOULD be. He’s 22. I’m talking about realistic expectations coming into the season.

not defending the coach at all. I’m not talking about the coach. He’s played well. is he a 28ppg player? no. Should the coach get credit if he drops 28? no.

if ten is the best,how can you give him an 8? i gave him a 6

Haha Fox News… thank you.

He showed he could be an effective defender against four positions. He showed that the offense could run through him when given the chance. He showed that when he gets angry, he will fight back rather than back down. He showed a lack of fear of shooting, even when he was off. He showed the desire to battle under the basket despite his back surgery last year. He showed the ability to take over a game despite the other teams efforts to stop him. He didn’t show the ability to take over the team “from his team mates” to win the game

Those were the things I wanted to see from him before the season. Based on his video from Europe, he was a jump shooter who could slash to the basket. But I was looking for more of a warrior. He exceeded my expectations for this year, and I got what I wanted except the last one. If I rated him 1-10 on where he ranked in the league, he would get a six. Ranked against other “stars”, he’d get a four. But against where he was before, and where I wanted him to improve… he gets an 8+. And I do like him, but he earned what he got.

The task was to “Rate Danilo Gallinari’s season in terms of your preseason expectations.” If you didn’t have any expectations, how can you just give him a 5.5 or 6.

Can we get a rating thread for this coach and please start with negative numbers?

Gallo spend a larger part of the season paying “Can ya see me now?” with his teammates!

This coach has NO idea how to use Gallo’s strengths and feature him. Then again, I can say that about most of the players on the team. however, he does know who to feature Duhon by just calling his name to enter the game.

Duhon should be NAILED to the bench with a sticker “Do Not Touch!”

I’m still not sure how good Gallo can really be because our coach has him guarding guards most nights while Gary Coleman and Tom Cruise play watching the paint.

“not defending the coach at all.” lol Then why the secret service earpiece and concealed weapon?

You’re the only one playing defense!

9? Yikes! I like Gallo but a 9 does not leave much room for improvement.

Gallo is somewhere between a 5-7 with lots of upside if he gets a good coach and work on his footwork and putting the ball on the floor to pull up for the short jumper or take it to the rim.

Nobody on this team is a 9 period!1

8
I gave eight.
My fear was the health. He rassured all of us.
My expectations on him are as high as possible.
Still he has to learn to be a much more selfish player on the court like the others stars and this will be the most difficult thing for him.

If you think I’m afraid of posting a D’Antoni evaluation you’re wrong or not paying attention. I’ve done about 3 of them already.

Will be up sometime next week. Doing players first.

oh wait, i meant Will be up sometime next week!!!! doing players first !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good Analogy! If Gallo works on his footwork and get with a good coach, he could be a good 3rd option as you stated. If we get real lucky, he could be a 2nd option at best. Either way, this dude can spread the floor so others can attack the rim.

LOL, Yeah but you never start with negative numbers. Zero is toooooo high of a starting pt. Also, DVJ always cheat by voting multiple times.

I agree with HaS assessment of the coach’s impact on his performance, but I don’t hold it against Gallo… thus the 8. I’m going to work under the assumption that Coach focused on other things ’cause he knew Gallo would be here. Yeah, it’s a stretch, but even though I may not agree I’m still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Dude, the Gary Coleman/Tom Cruise guarding the paint joke was lame the first 80 times you posted it.

one vote per customer sir…

My rating is bases upon this year as a whole, no expectation, that’s the point, how much expectation could anyone have? How much film have you or anyone else seen from Europe on this guy?

Tommy Dee,

There should be poll for if the Knicks should give Marcus Landry a contract for the rest of the season. The Celtics waived him, and it has been said and reiterated that he is a great player to have sitting at the end of the bench. Let also remind everyone how good of a motivator and friend he was to Toney Douglas. I am not saying that TD is not going to put forth a lot of work this summer on his own. But I can guarantee you that Marcus Landry can help. Just food for thought!

he also could be a roster filler for us at the end of training camp on the cheap…

Who is the “3″?

Good idea with this series of posts Tommy. I hope you do this for all the players and the coach. I can’t wait for the one on Al Harrington. Im telling you guys right now, if there is a vote for 0 on that one its definitely me. Duhon should also be interesting.

Gallo had a soso year, he hit the wall at one point and has came back but the word associated with Gallo should be INCONSISTENT

He must get stronger, work on post game some more and his handle. The base is there he just needs to refine things and become more assertive and not be passive and hang at the trey line. We’ve seen flashes with him getting fouled and going to the line and when he gets peeved he shows flashes

“you take any chance to knock the coach…”

It’s frightening how easy it is to. He’s made so many questionable decisions in 2 years it’s unnerving to say the least.

It’s not rating him as an overall basketball player. It’s how he lived up to your own personal expectations prior the beginning of the season.

I gave Gallo a 6, but it was a pretty enthusiastic 6.

Thrilled that he’ll end up playing like 80 games this year and about 30 minutes a game. And hopefully he’ll have enough time to rest/strengthen his back…because my biggest complaint with him has been his stiffness the way he runs the floor.

Not worried about his assists. That seems like a product of not having the ball enough (thanks Al Harrington), and feeling that the only way he can contribute to this team is buy taking three-pointers whenever he does get the ball. But he is a good passer, and he plays a good two-man game with Lee.

Still don’t think he’s a great defender, but he is one of the better defenders on the Knicks (right, right). He’s got good instincts, good hands, but it’s a lateral quickness issue that works against him. Playing his natural PF position (I assume that that’s his position) will help that, but he’s obviously gonna have to get stronger to do that.

You’d like to see him be a better rebounder (some of that might have to do with D. Lee’s board-hogging).

And the most important thing is asserting himself–demanding the ball some times, not deferring, and being more versatile on offense… I want to see him take more midrange shots, definitely drive to the basket more, and find a way to average around 6 free-throws a game (if not more). He can’t keep shooting 5-6 three-pointers a game. [Point of reference: Dirk Nowitzki has attempted 502 three-pointers in the last 3 seasons; Gallo has attempted 451 this year]

So yeah, I’m excited to see how good Gallo could be, but obviously he has a lot of work to do. I think he’d look GREAT playing with superstar offensive player.

I don’t necessarily believe he will be as good as Dirk, but I don’t think you can say never.

LOL

I would probably up my number a point or two after reconsidering his being able to last the whole season without any setbacks health-wise.

I’m not the three though. I gave him a 5.

Haha agreed, it’s getting a little old. I don’t get why you even settled on those two particular “celebrities”. I guess they’re both short.

based on what i thought he would do,i was a bit dissapointed in his play.I was pleasantly surprised in his defense,and for a semi-rookie,he really knows how to play basketball way beyond his years.I thought that he would have a much better shooting PCT(from 3pt range also)but i think something is wrong with him physically,that he or the knicks arent letting us in on(his hand,finger,or his arm maybe)having said that,I think that with a normal offseason he will defenately shoot better next year……I GIVE HIM A 6

+1. Good post. Don’t worry though, Al Harrington has already promised to be more of a ballmover if we bring him back haha. Its not like he’s ever promised that before………

people who rated him 5 or below are clueless
OMFG WHATS SO DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND about this poll….
take your preseason expectations compared to how well he played and rate it.
Did u think gallo would miss 20 games w injury? — then rate him a 8-10
did u think he would be a complete bust.. play 15 mpg .. average 8ppg?
then rate him a 8/9 or above ..
i thought he would go for 17/8/4 and not be ready to defend in this league ..
therefore from me, he gets a 9 ….
damn tommy .. they just dont read

sorry i meant an 8 .. arg … lol
short of the numbers but MUCH better on D .. and i thought he would miss 10 games

limited film, along with pre-draft scouting reports, assessments of the summer league before he got trashed, his limited time last year, and this pre-season. They were not enought to project his future success or failure, but they were enough to say, “he should be working toward a, b and c during the season. Those were my pre-season expectations.

I gave him an 8….He exceeded my expectations for sure. He’s been relatively injury free, has shown the ability to take over games, the attitude needed to be successful in this city, with willingness to step it up and take big shots, and many intangibles that a lot of people never thought he would do.

Watching on league pass, I have had to suffer through many opposing announcers talk about our Knicks. Many a time, you’ll hear someone say “wow…he can do that? Now I see why the Knicks are so high on this guy”.

In the beginning of the season, everyone labeled him a 3 point chucker – fairly though, because he did tend to hover around the three point line.

Since then, he’s shown the ability to beat guys off the dribble, drive to the hoop, draw fouls, and most importantly, play defense.

If you watch the last possession of the Celtics game, Gallo was on Pierce, who usually gets the last shot. The play was designed for him, but Gallo just wouldn’t let him get the ball, and that was what caused the Celtics to not get off a shot. Most people thought that, as good an offensive player he was gonna be, he’d always be a defensive liability. Well, I think you can throw that out the window.

And, come on guys, really, your blaming it on the coach? The guy is having a hell of a season. Gallo hasn’t been playing like this all year though. The improvement this kid has shown from game 1 to now is incredible to say the least. Why don’t you give the coach some CREDIT for developing Gallo properly? Maybe if the ball was run through him all season, he wouldn’t have taken the time to practice, or he could have folded under pressure. Who knows. The fact is that the kid is developing very nicely, you can’t really ask for much more.

LOL so I guess he should have only put up numbers 8-10?

SMH.

Whatever dude. I rated him as a 6th pick in the NBA lottery.

To me Gallo is a failure and the reason is NOT Gallo himself, it was the hype.

Tell me Jordan Hill’s stats wouldn’t be actually BETTER than Gallo’s in the same minutes yet Gallo got the minutes.

We were told Gallo was NBA ready, that he was playing pro ball since he was 16. More bullshit from Walsh and D’assholi. Boy are these guys full of crap, more than Isiah ever was.

So to me he was a TOTAL failure not due to the reality of the process of a young bigman developing NBA skills, but the bullshit of Walsh and D’assholi.

All that aside I still feel he will never be the type of player who can consistently take over a game. He will be a good player but never reach the hype we were shoveled. He will also never produce the numbers that IMO a lottery pick should and I would NOT be surprised if one day Jordan Hill becomes the better player.

“To me Gallo is a failure and the reason is NOT Gallo himself, it was the hype.”

I should’ve stopped reading there.

“Tell me Jordan Hill’s stats wouldn’t be actually BETTER than Gallo’s in the same minutes yet Gallo got the minutes.”

Ummm…retarded.

“We were told Gallo was NBA ready, that he was playing pro ball since he was 16. More bullshit from Walsh and D’assholi. Boy are these guys full of crap, more than Isiah ever was.”

Got a link to support that? I would love to hear or read where Donnie and Coach said Gallo was NBA ready. Please supply it………..if you can.

“So to me he was a TOTAL failure not due to the reality of the process of a young bigman developing NBA skills, but the bullshit of Walsh and D’assholi.”

Whatever Isiah lol

“All that aside I still feel he will never be the type of player who can consistently take over a game. He will be a good player but never reach the hype we were shoveled. He will also never produce the numbers that IMO a lottery pick should and I would NOT be surprised if one day Jordan Hill becomes the better player.”

Isn’t it time for your boces class?

Peace out playa

Can’t see people giving him more than an 8 and less than a 6, IMO.

He is still growing and maturing physically, he is still less than a year away from his surgery, and he had a lingering arm issue which I think people have overlooked when evaluating his outside shooting this year.

He plays better D than almost anyone, except maybe his dad, expected from him- he gets knocked around like a rag doll at times but still averages about 5 RPG while defending on the perimeter, and he has shown some toughness, both physically and mentally, that has probably caught the eyes of a lot of coaches, players, and fans around the NBA.

His draft class was a pretty solid one, but I can’t see any reason why he may not someday be considered one of the top picks coming out of his draft. I also think he has a flexible and well rounded type of game which will allow him to adapt to any free agents the Knicks get over the next few years.

We ended up with a real good player, and barring injury, he is going to be a very solid player in the NBA- maybe even a borderline All-Star (or beyond??)- someday.

Still has flaws in his game- and many are quick to point them out- but he has definitely sent out notice to every player in the NBA that he belongs in this league.

He is a keeper, and is the closest thing we have on this team to an untouchable player.

You are entitled to your opinion DVJ.

I try to stay away from your posts because whenever I read them I immediately feel the need to go to the bathroom and elevate my bowels.

You never write anything with any scientific value just opinionated dribble…ha ha dribble get it. Just as corny a pun as your overall opinions about basketball and the Knicks.

I give you credit for being such a great Knick fan. Your vision of reality is totally obscured by your love of all things Knicks. As though it were a religious experience, bless you for you are the chosen one and follow Knick guide book as though it were the bible or Koran.

Bless you, bless you, bless you. Put on your orange and blue robe, kneel at the Knick altar and flagellate yourself. Then stuff a basketball up UR wreck em.

You gotta think where he was drafted. To say that he’s a dissapointment because he’s a lottery pick and won’t become a superstar seems unfair.

At the #6 position, you basically can only hope for a guy that will be a productive starter in the league and if he turns into an All-Star/Superstar, you got lucky.

Take a look at all of the #6 picks in the lottery era. It’s not pretty. Sometimes you get lucky and get a franchise-type player (Brandon Roy). Sometimes GMs completely miss (Felton Spencer, William Bedford, Derrmarr Johnson, Doug Smith, Tractor Traylor, Stacey King, Bryant Reeves, Sharone Wright, etc). And sometimes you end up with good but not quite great players (Shane Battier, Antoine Walker, Hersey Hawkins. Wally Z, etc.)

So, is Gallo a skilled player who can be a productive starter in the NBA? Yes.

Does it look like he can have a long career? Hard to say, will depend mostly on the health of his back…’cuz tall sharpshooters can have very long careers.

Does it seem like he has a lot of upside and lots of aspects to his game we don’t see? That’s subjective. I say yes, others disagree.

The thing is we were told he was the second coming of Dirk. They meant Dirk Diggler though.

He’s a good player and could have/should have went later in that draft.

I wanted Lopez, period.

I can’t see him ever being the player he was hyped as being, like a power forward yet a point guard too. I remember reading even more hype. So for me he has been a huge disappointment. He disappears way too much in games.

Plus now we will never know if pop goes the weasel and his back goes out. I know about spinal problems, I am totally disabled due to spinal problems now. At any moment it could be the end for the kid with that back and I feel for him. I know the kid is always in pain, most people do not know that. He even sits on a special pad. I know about backs and I can read his face, I know those expressions very well, all too well.

He will NEVER admit it but his back is always an issue now. He’ll talk about toward the end of his career or after. Everybody will be shocked when they learn how bad his spine really is and I give credit to the kid to be playing as good as he is with those issues.

I will never forget what Larry Bird went through toward the end of his career which IMO was cut short. He had a bad back and suffered yet played at such a high level.

Nice analysis, I agree with almost everything you say.

I would give him an 8. Mainly because I had partly written him off as damaged goods, so my expectation was really low.

If I knew his injury was not going to be a problem, my expectation overall would have been roughly for the type of season he has had. Except I too expected his D and athleticism would be worse, and his shot and assists slightly better. But IMO there’s plenty reason to be hopeful. Basically I have no doubt he’ll be a great shooter and passer, it’s the other stuff I was worried about, but he’s put most of those fears to rest. And with an offseason of training and his injury further behind him, plus maturing (he’s still 21), there’s a good chance he improves his athleticism. I consider it guaranteed that his shooting and assists will go up. Barring injury. My main remaining fear is about his motor.

LOL I guess you two never pay any attention to the looks of Lee and Walker!

Haha I’m sorry but Lee does not resemble Tom Cruise in the least. Maybe only because he’s white and Bill Walker isn’t that bad on defense.

No I think he said 5 or below is ridiculous not 7 or below.

I gotcha. I just am wonder how many expectations people really had bases upon such limit playing time. His play in the summer league was practically non-exist and hardly any time last year, yet people are ranking his as an eight and nine. I guess if he was a ten he would have lived up to all their expectations, I just think the question would have been better posed with the word “Anticipation” rather than “Expectation”.

I hear you. I know people like yourself who got devastated by spinal problems, and in some cases nothing works to make them better. But in others it does. I’m sure you can recognize the pain. And
in Galo’s case, you’re right that he did show signs of pain. At times he even lay on the court like Bird used to do. But he did more of that early in the season, no? He made it through the whole season, and I’d say maybe his back looked better as time went on. Don’t you think it’s possible he might overcome his injury?

lol. It’s a little tongue in cheek in that they are both short stars! Why u didn’t say ‘Walker doesn’t look like Gary Coleman either? ” Ummmmmmmm

I’d take a bad back Brid anyday on this team. Even with a bad back Bird still knew how to the play the game many times better than anyone on this team including the coach.

As an executive though Bird is in the MJ category. I can only imagine what they see on the sidelines with today’s players. I can’t imagine how they can even watch. How they can stay in the game in beyond me. I would be so impatient that I would blast people all the time…..sorta of like our coach who has NO rings.

That’s the strange thing about backs. I have been suffering since 1982 and went through times early on that it wasn’t so bad, then I twisted wrong and I was out for weeks.

He’s going to develop something called degenerate disc disease. Everybody who has a disc problem develops this.For how long and how well his spine is nobody knows. But I do recognize the guys pain and that there were nights he played through it. Some nights he looked awkward and stiff, that’s bad pain….I feel for the guy.

i actually hope I am wrong and he becomes an all star and 20-10 lifetime guy and plays for the Knicks 10 years plus. but I just don’t see it unless he is surrounded by guys who put the offense through him. And I just don’t think right now he’s good enough for the offense to go through.

I mean alleviate my bowels….to elevate them would be just too painful…LMAO. Damn spell check…errrrrr.

Sorry DVJ but to use the word retarded, are you an adult? Do you have issues with your brain? Like are you developmentally challenged or something?

I’m not into the whole political correctness thing but calling someone retarded is a horrible example of a person who shows their nature to be cruel and incapable of empathy.

“Did u think gallo would miss 20 games w injury? — then rate him a 8-10

did u think he would be a complete bust.. play 15 mpg .. average 8ppg?

then rate him a 8/9 or above ..”

*blank stare*

+1 Starksoakmase…I had him at about a 7. All things considered he did very well. And the fact that he took it upon himself to ask for the tough defensive assignments makes me smile. Not because I think he’s gonna develop into a defensive stopper, but because he wanted to use the opportunity to learn what the best players do and where he can improve HIS game. Essentially as a rookie he doesn’t have a star player on the floor to make the game easier for him, he doesn’t have a PG that gets him the ball in the right spots, and he doesn’t have a coach that made full use of his abilities. With all of that he’s still an impact player..He’ll be fine..

“He will also never produce the numbers that IMO a lottery pick should”

WTF?

He’s averaging 14.6 & 4.9 in his sophomore season and is regarded as one of the best players from the 2008 draft class. Most lottery picks never average 15&5 in their whole career!!

Let’s see – career highs :

2007 Yi Jianlian 11.5 ppg
2006 BRANDON ROY 22.6 PPG
2005 Martell Webster 10.7 ppg
2004 Josh Childress 13 ppg
2003 CHRIS KAMAN 18.4 PPG
2002 DaJuan Wagner 13.4 ppg
2001 Shane Battier 14.4 ppg
2000 DeMar Johnson 8.4 ppg

Only 2 players out of the 8 previous 6th overall picks have averaged more than more 14.9 & 4.9.

Your big words and moral values are nice, but none of the basketball stuff you said had any basis in fact.

What hype? Many people panned the pick. No one said he was going to be an NBA ready star. We drafted a 20 year old rail skin kid from Europe. What European has ever come here and immediately dominated?

Gallo was the definition of a project. Part of the appeal of drafting him was knowing that we had a 2010 plan and we didn’t need him to contribute right away. You’re just wrong.

That is correct DS very good, the knicks will not have a mid-level exception, teams that are over the cap at the start of the summer get the MLE. So that is why i believe this is more a realistic aspect of what could take place. Bosh and either Lebron or Joe Johnson if Lebron does not come, lets remember something about Joe Johnson and the Hawks, Johnson turned down a 5 year max contract offer from the Hawks early this year. Also, the Hawks still have to give new extensions to Josh Smith and AL Horford and they will have Jamal Crawford to play the 2 under contract, this is a team that wants to stay away from paying a luxury tax as well, i can’t see the Hawks giving Joe Johnson a max deal and being able to sign Horford and Josh Smith as well. That is why in the end, u try to implement the plan with Lebron, but in the end, if Lebron does not come, it will be Joe Johnson coming to the Knicks, I think Bosh wants to be on a team that is built around him and he wants to play the 4 and play next to a defensive minded C cleaning up the rebounds. I think Bosh comes to NY, I think Collison and Okafor for Wilson Chandler and Eddy Curry’s contract is a distinct possibility. So Collison, Johnson,Gallo/T-Mac at the 3, Bosh at the 4, Okafor at the 5. Bench-T-mac/gallo, Barron, Douglas, Walker…maybe a raja Bell…for 1 spot…maybe they buy a late 1st round pick, that’s another roster spot….they have 2 2’s as well.., team would be pretty good. Right now i think Lebron and Wade stay where they are, Amare goes to Miami, Bosh to Knicks, Boozer to Bulls, Johnson to Knicks. David Lee……….Nets
Also, one more thing, if they Nets get the #1 and take John Wall, I believe Devin Harris will traded to Memphis for RFA Rudy Gay.

gotta give him an 8 minimum.
i gave him a 9.
Coming into the year, he was just a spot up shooter.
He’s shown a ton of things, and it’s great to see all these things this year. Of course, we need to see consistency and continued evolution of his game and to see him continue to build strength.

But look at the growth he made in his game and his body this year:

he’s stronger than last year and it’s helped his durability.

in addition to the 3, he’s shown an ability to draw fouls, drive the lane, throw it down without fear (no fear at ALL in his game), take advantage of smaller and shorter players (we have def. seen growth here, and i am encouraged and hopeful to see even more), he’s become a tenacious perimeter defender, a good shot-blocker, a good charge-taker, and he’s shown the grit and tenacity of a winner; he doesn’t back down from a challenge and he picks up his game when a challenge comes up.

hopefully he improves his shooting consistency from 3, the FT line, and on turnaround 2s over smaller players. hopefully he continues to develop strength so he can defend 3s and 4s consistently.

from last April to this April, his growth as a player is HUGE.. gotta be excited about having Gallo!

Is this guy serious? you’re doubting if Gallo will ever be able to control a game, even though he’s controlled the 2nd half in wins over the celtics, nuggets, and helped in a win over the Mavs, all within the last month???
the guy is 6’10 and still growing into his body. he’s like 22 years old. he clearly is a hard worker who strives to be in the same class as the Melos of the league. You’ve already see him make 3s, punish smaller players for long 2s, drive for dunks, and draw lots of fouls.

I see no reason for why he can’t become a similar player to Dirk Nowitzki… he’s already got a lot of skills that he’s shown, and if he continues to develop moves at the pace that he has lately, he’s gonna be deadly. need to see him get more consistent… excited for 2010!

i gave him a 6

he’s very inconsistent an loves to be behind the arc if he drove more to the hoop an be more aggressive i would of gave him 7.-8 an up is too high for him
mayb next year he will earn an 8

You do know that Dirk was not very good when he first came into the league right? He was similar in age and played profesionally in Europe just like Gallo.

Gallo may never be as good as Dirk but you coming to premature conclusions on how good he will be is crazy! He is putting up similar or better numbers than most of the lottery picks selected between 5-8 over the last 5 years.

He is getting better as he learns what it takes to become a solid NBA player. Last month is scoring went up to 16.5ppg and now that guys like Harrington are not taking his shots he is putting up over 20pts 6 boards and 3.5 assist in the month of April. People should be excited about this kid!

Nobody said he was the 2nd coming of Dirk.

A couple of delusional fans maybe.

Gallinari is widely perceived as a top 5 player from the 2008 draft (1. Rose 2. Lopez 3. Mayo 4. Westbrook 5. Gallinari) anyways, he’s the most promising Knicks lottery pick since PATRICK EWING. You wanted Brooke Lopez? Get over it! We’re not talking about J Hill over Brandon Jennings!

OK what about when D’assholi says he’s the best shooter he’s ever seen. This kid has been hyped by D’ass since the first time his name was mentioned. Pleeeez.

Everybody keeps talking about his stats, his numbers. Well if that’s the case then David Lee is a beast who should be getting a MAX contract. But he’s not a beast and he’s not getting a max contract.

Never use those kinds of stats for anything. Especially on a losing team. they mean nothing.

So far this kid has the right attitude but he is so lost. Maybe he’ll find his way maybe not, with this coach maybe not. He has a lot of work to do.

It’s funny but people do have very short memories. This kid was hyped by the Knicks big time. Things were said like he was a great ball handler and could play PG. I have not seen the great ball handling skills and even when David Lee is not padding his rebounding stats I didn’t see any consistent rebounding effort from Gallo. Once in a while he’ll go strong to the boards but not often enough IMO for a forward, same for Chandler. But that just might be D’assholi doing his 7SOL crap again.

How many times has D’ass gushed about Gallo and that he’s the best shooter in NBA or that he ever saw…….come on, hype, hype, hype.

“Everybody keeps talking about his stats, his numbers. Well if that’s the case then David Lee is a beast who should be getting a MAX contract. But he’s not a beast and he’s not getting a max contract”

Pointless.

You talked about his “numbers” too, you said that “He will also never produce the numbers that IMO a lottery pick should” but in fact he’s already getting pretty big numbers for a sophomore. Yeah David Lee has better stats but he’s more than 5 years older than Gallinari and he plays no defense whatsoever – at least Gallinari tries to play D (even though he didn’t play well defensively in Orlando). Apples and oranges.

Do you purposely believe in overly high expectations just to say that he’s been a disappointment???? Who cares about the hype – he’s already a good NBA player.

So you want to compare Gallo to Dirk so we point out a few stats becuase what else can we use to juge his performance by in such a short period of time. Gallo has played better than Dirk through his 1st 100 games period.

You point out the hype but that really does not matter. You state he is not putting up numbers that a lottery pick #6 overall should. So we show you that he is actually playing better than most of the # 6 picks this past decade. If you could stop being blinded by your anger that management selected him over Lopez you would see that Gallo is becoming a good young NBA player.

I guess you can predict the future since you state that Gallo will never be as good as Dirk but my question to you is how do you know that?