Danilo Gallinari Injury: Updates on Nuggets Star's Knee Surgery and Return
Danilo Gallinari was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee, which forced him to undergo surgery on Dec. 22. He returned on Jan. 23.
Continue for updates.
Gallinari Returns vs. Celtics
Saturday, Jan. 23
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports Gallinari returned on Friday:
Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post reported Gallinari expected this to be the day he returned:
That date falls within the 2-3 week timeframe Gallinari spoke about on Jan. 5:
"In my mind, maybe two weeks. That's what I'm thinking. But I'm not sure. Maybe it will be three weeks," Gallinari said regarding a potential return, courtesy of Chris Tomasson in a special report for The Denver Post.
"Before Monday's game against Minnesota at the Target Center, the Nuggets' forward shot free throws for the first time since he had surgery Dec. 24 to repair a right meniscus tear," Tomasson noted.
Gallinari Undergoes Surgery
Monday, Dec. 22
Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post reported that Danilo Gallinari will undergo his knee surgery on Monday.
Gallinari Diagnosed With Torn Meniscus
Sunday, Dec. 21
After missing the entire 2013-14 NBA season due to a torn left ACL, the injury bug appears to have bitten Danilo Gallinari again.
The Denver Nuggets announced the forward had suffered a tear to the meniscus in his right knee. Gallinari will undergo surgery and is tentatively expected to miss three weeks.
Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post shared the news:
Matt Moore of CBS Sports weighed in on the announcement:
"Gallo was so happy to be back on the floor. That sucks so bad.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) December 21, 2014"
Once regarded as an athletic big man who could score in a variety of ways, the 26-year-old has since lost the explosiveness that made him so effective.
In April 2013, he tore the ACL in his left knee in a game against the Dallas Mavericks. Gallinari missed the entirety of the 2013-14 season after undergoing a reconstruction of the same ACL in January. He made his long-awaited return to the court this fall but looked to be a shell of his former self following the two surgeries.
The Nuggets forward complained of soreness in his left knee during a November game against the Phoenix Suns, playing just nine minutes before leaving for the night:
He returned for another game against Phoenix two nights later, but his knee remained a problem. Earlier in December, he shut himself down for a few games due to lingering soreness, per Dempsey:
Head coach Brian Shaw commented on Gallinari's play earlier in the season, via Dempsey:
"The guy was out 19 months. He's still experiencing a little bit of pain. He's not back to the level he wants to be at. ...
In terms of his play, I don't think it's a secret to anybody that he's struggled. He's not shooting a high percentage from the field, and I think the one thing if he's out there on the floor that he has to be able to bring is hitting shots when he's open.
It's been a struggle for Gallo shooting the ball. I'm sure his shooting percentage is probably the lowest it's ever been in his career. But defensively, just kind of keeping up with the speed of the game has been tough for him as well. So when he gets right and he's feeling better and he's playing better, he'll play more.
"
Gallinari very much looks to be at a career crossroads. He's obviously struggled to shake off the rust, averaging 7.8 points in just 18.8 minutes per game, both of which are his lowest since his rookie year. He's also failed to compensate for his diminishing physical gifts.
This most recent injury only exacerbates the problem.
It's still too early to write off Gallinari completely, as he's still only in his mid-20s. But with each additional injury, it's less and less likely that he'll develop into the promising potential All-Star he looked like in 2012-13.
