LA Clippers Mamba Mentality Challenge: Danilo Gallinari

A few weeks ago, Kobe Bryant issued “Mamba Challenges” to various public personalities. Our staff felt the need to issue our own challenges to each LA Clippers player. Next up is Danilo Gallinari.

This summer, the LA Clippers went out and acquired Danilo Gallinari. This move was part of a three-team sign-and-trade deal with the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks. In the deal, the Clippers parted ways with Jamal Crawford, Diamond Stone, and a 2018 first-round pick, previously acquired from the Houston Rockets.

The Challenge

Stay healthy.

Out of all the challenges, this one appears to be the easiest to achieve. However, staying healthy is something that has haunted Gallinari over the years. After missing the entire 2013-2014 season because of an ACL injury, Gallo has only averaged 58 games over the last three years.

There’s no question Danilo Gallinari is a stud. He’s a floor-spacing shooter that the Clippers have coveted for years. The last two seasons, he’s averaged nearly 20 points a game, while shooting nearly 38 percent from three.

As mentioned earlier, there’s no doubt Gallinari can play. He’s arguably been one of the more underrated players in the NBA the last few seasons. However, playing in only 62 percent of games over his nine-year career does draw concern.

During the summer, the newest Clipper fractured his hand after punching an opponent in the face in a friendly EuroBasket game. The injury sidelined him for weeks, and drew concern from Clippers fans everywhere. Luckily, he does expect to return by training camp.

Next: LA Clippers health update

If Danilo Gallinari can stay healthy and play at least 70 games, he has the potential to have a career season, and hopefully lead the Clippers to a deep playoff push.