This preseason, Danilo Gallinari finally started to look like the player that the LA Clippers had hoped he be. If he continues the trend, the front office may finally get a return on their $65 million investment.
At 30-years-old, it’s a well-established fact that Gallinari isn’t much for defense. He was never supposed to be. Where Gallo excels is on the offensive side of the ball, and even then, this was something he hardly accomplished last season.
Gallinari averaged 15.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in his inaugural Clippers campaign, shooting 32 percent from three-point range and 39 percent from the floor. Inconsistency aside, he appeared in just 21 games due to numerous injuries.
Had Gallinari remained healthy last season, there’s a solid chance that LA could’ve made the playoffs. However, because of his absence, the team’s three-point production was among the league’s worst. The Clippers ranked bottom-10 in both three-point attempts and three-point percentage.
A healthy Gallinari would help take some of the pressure off of Harris, and could also improve LA’s offensive flow as a whole.
If each of these players remain healthy and stay on top of their games, the Clippers could be in for a surprising year.