No. 2: Danilo Gallinari
The surprise of the season so far has got to be Danilo Gallinari, who has looked like a completely different player for the LA Clippers.
Posting averages of 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on nearly 44 percent shooting from three-point range in his first four games, Gallinari has looked as efficient as ever. It’s a very welcome sight for Clippers fans, given Gallo appeared in just 21 games last season and converted just over 32 percent of his triples.
The 30-year-old forward has scored 20 or more points in three of his four appearances this season, all three of which came on the backend of the other. For reference, Gallinari has only scored 20+ points in back-to-back games one other time during his Clippers career — and has never done it in three consecutive games as a member of the team.
Much of Gallinari’s newfound success can be attributed to his health, but it’s clear that his teammates trust him more as well. After attempting 12.2 shots per game last season, Gallo is up to 16 this year, including 5.8 attempts from deep.
Gallo is also much more of a focal point of the offense than he was with last year’s squad. With the subtractions of Blake Griffin, Austin Rivers, and DeAndre Jordan, he’s become one of the top-two options on every possession.
Hopefully Gallinari can stay healthy and keep this up. This roster needs him.