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Danilo Gallinari Suffers Torn Meniscus; Examining Recovery Timeline and Where Celtics Go from Here
In the fourth quarter of a FIBA World Cup Qualifier on Saturday, Danilo Gallinari, suiting up for the Italian national team, suffered a non-contact knee injury on a fast break.
The initial fear was that perhaps he tore his ACL in his left knee, ending his NBA season before it started. "I hope, and I pray that nothing bad will come out. It was... it is an honor coaching him. I saw pain in his eyes," expressed Italy's head coach, Gianmarco Pozzecco, after the game, as transcribed by Cesare Milanti of Overtimebasket.com.
An MRI on Sunday revealed Gallinari sustained a meniscus tear in his left knee, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
When Robert Williams tore his meniscus in March, he had it trimmed, and returned on a minutes restriction four weeks later. Williams was compromised, sometimes to the point of having to sit out playoff games, but he was still productive.
Gallinari, who's had numerous knee injuries throughout his career, including tearing an ACL in 2013, could opt for surgery to repair the meniscus. That would cause him to miss a significant amount of the regular season.
It's also possible surgery isn't required, and he relies on rest and rehabbing the knee. While Williams counts heavily on his athleticism, Gallinari is a more ground-bound player who, at six-foot-ten, often has a height advantage that pairs with the savviness of playing in the NBA for 13 years to help him produce points.
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The Celtics signed Gallinari, a career 15.6 points per game scorer and 38.2 percent three-point shooter on 5.1 attempts per contest, to a deal worth $13.3 million over two years with a player option for the second season. They did so by utilizing the taxpayer mid-level exception.
Gallinari's expected to provide a needed scoring boost to Boston's second unit, which ranked in the bottom five in points per game in the regular season, averaging 30.2 per contest. In the playoffs, they ranked 14th out of 16 teams, providing only 22.5 points, according to NBA.com.
At the introductory press conference for Gallinari and Malcolm Brogdon, Brad Stevens discussed playing Gallinari at center as one way his addition allows the Celtics to be more versatile than they were a season ago.
That's an important option for Ime Udoka as he manages his center rotation throughout a game and the 2022-23 campaign. Gallinari's knee injury might persuade Boston to acquire a more traditional option to man the pivot.
If the Celtics do so, that could result in trading a rotation player such as Payton Pritchard. However, it's more likely that the team remains committed to entering the season with all three of Brogdon, Pritchard, and Derrick White, then evaluating whether to trade one of them to upgrade at another position.
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If they sign one of the remaining free-agent centers, their options include Hassan Whiteside, who's coming off a season where he produced 8.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while backing up Rudy Gobert for the Jazz.
Boston could also bring in Dwight Howard, who can protect the basket, rebound, and while not as athletic as he once was, he's still a lob threat. He'd come with durability concerns too, but this role requires short bursts, not long stretches of consecutive minutes.
And while Blake Griffin isn't the player he once was, perhaps in short shifts, he might have it in him to consistently contribute at both ends of the court. Griffin scored eight points in less than eight minutes against the Celtics in Game 3 of their first-round matchup against the Nets, making two of his three attempts from beyond the arc.
Boston could also opt for a reunion with Tristan Thompson, who averaged six points and 5.1 rebounds while spending time with the Kings, a four-game stint with the Pacers, and finishing last season with the Bulls.
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The Celtics could also see what trading multiple second-round picks will get them. For example, maybe that's enough for the Kings to part with Alex Len, who generated six points and 4.1 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per game last season. The former fifth-overall selection is on an expiring contract valued at $3.9 million.
Boston could also make that offer to the Pelicans for Willy Hernangomez, who's coming off a campaign where he produced 9.1 points and 6.8 rebounds while logging 16.8 minutes per game. The six-foot-11, 250-pound center is under contract for $2.4 million this season and on the books for $2.6 million for 2023-24.
Other options, such as swinging a deal for Xavier Tillman or Naz Reid, would likely cost more than a pair of second-round draft picks.
The Celtics could also rely on the players they have providing additional layers of depth, then decide whether to make an in-season trade for front-court help. That group includes Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet, Mfiondu Kabengele, a former first-round pick on a two-way deal, and whoever wins the open competition for a spot at the end of the roster, such as Noah Vonleh and Bruno Caboclo.
Further Reading
Examining How the Celtics Might Manage Their Center Rotation
[Watch] Jaylen Brown Pushes Himself to the Limit in Offseason Workout
