The Starter
The Clippers made a surprising move during the 2017 offseason by signing forward Danilo Gallinari. Gallinari had averaged 18.2 points per game in his previous season with Denver and was a highly sought-after free agent. He slid into the starting lineup at small forward alongside Griffin.
However, he appeared in only 21 games for the team last season due to injuries. His efficiency significantly dropped as well, as he shot career lows from the field (39.8%) and three-point range (32.4%).
Gallinari is an elite scorer and shooter, when healthy. It was evident that he was not 100% when he was on the floor last season. He looked visibly uncomfortable, and that is why his numbers dipped so significantly.
In the preseason, Gallinari has already looked more comfortable and is clearly a different player than he was last season. Through four games, he is shooting over 50% from the field and 40% from three.
Even though he is listed at small forward, you could make the argument that he is, in fact, the power forward and Tobias Harris is the small forward. Both Gallinari and Harris are versatile forwards who can score and shoot. Having to cover both of them should put pressure on opposing defenses.
Harris should be a better fit with Gallinari than Griffin. Playing alongside Harris allows Gallinari to cover power forwards on the defensive end instead of trying to keep up with perimeter players.
As long as Gallinari is healthy, he is locked in as the team’s starting small forward. I expect him to have a strong season and average just short of 20 points per game, once again.