NBA Notebook: Imagining what Danilo Gallinari brings to Celtics

Danilo Gallinari came to the Celtics as a surprise this offseason, his $21.5-million contract too big for even the Evan Fournier trade exception and only movable in a deal for Dejounte Murray where Atlanta sent multiple future first-round picks to a Spurs team pivoting toward a rebuild. San Antonio had the cap space and stomach to eat $ 13 million in a buyout and Gallinari reportedly decided to take less money from the Celtics than the Bulls, who also pursued him once he reached free agency. 

So the 34-year-old joined an NBA Finals team on a mid-level exception hoping to score his first championship having already transitioned to a bench role with the Hawks over the past two seasons. He brings consistent shooting on par with any other specialist from deep over a 14-year career, hitting 35% or more of his three-pointers in all but two seasons. He's big, at 6-10, 233-pounds and brings a wealth of experience to a roster that leans on the young side. At two years, $13.3 million, it would've been impossible to say no to Gallinari, but it is worth wondering how he'll fit into a team that had a specific style in 2021-22. Defense and ball movement aren't his strengths. 

"(Gallinari and Malcolm Brogdon) just gives you so many more options as playmakers as shooters, as guys who can score the ball," Brad Stevens said. "Gallo's obviously been doing this a long time and is one of the better shooters with size in the league. He's also a guy you can throw it to on the block and he commands some attention from the defense." 

Fans will get an early look at Gallinari playing for Team Italy in EuroBasket next week before training camp, opening against Estonia on Friday before taking on Greece, Ukraine, Croatia and Great Britain over the following week. He's currently competing in 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers, scoring 10 points in 13 minutes this week on 3-for-6 shooting against Ukraine. Italy takes on Georgia at 2:30 EST today. 

Gallinari scored the second-fewest points per game of his career in 2022 (11.7), saw his shooting remain stuck around 43.4% from the field and his three-point efficiency dipped below 40% for the first time in three seasons (38.1%). His free throw rate fell to the lowest mark since his rookie year and Atlanta reeled back his usage to 18.4%, another low he hadn't seen in over a decade. 

A Hawks team that struggled to defend still won his minutes (+3.4 per 100 possessions), a credit to his consistency and the weight of his offensive contributions. He'll receive and hit open jumpers on the Celtics, making Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown more willing passers while freeing up some offensive stagnancy. Floor spacing challenged Boston as much as turnovers when Grant Williams, the team's only consistent floor spacer, struggled late in the postseason.

Gallinari converted 45.5% of his wide-open threes last year (1.5 attempts/game), with a 35.4% mark on open threes (2.4/game). The rest of his attempts came around the rim (1.3, 65.1%), from 10-14 feet (1.1, 44.6%) from 15-19 feet (0.9, 43.5%) and 20-24 feet (1.9, 39.8%), giving him balance with an ability to get his own shot off from in-between. He shot 48.5% on two-pointers overall, 71.8% inside 3 feet and knocked down an impressive 46.7% from 10-16 feet. He'll attack closeouts, driving 2.5 times per game and shooting 49.3% on those plays. 

If you get him the ball, he's probably going to shoot, but he'll make something happen on his touches, averaging 2.45 seconds on the ball which Ime Udoka will appreciate. Gallinari shot 48% on twos and 40.6% from three on passes from Trae Young, an encouraging preview of what Tatum might be able to generate for him. His 27.4 passes per game compare most to Robert Williams III.

In Udoka's offense that loves to attack mismatches, Gallinari projects well as a versatile big who can torch opposing centers that can't run out and guard jump shots. He shot 20-for-49 from three (51.3%) when guarded by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chuma Okeke, Marvin Bagley III, Jaxson Hayes, P.J. Washington, Obi Toppin, Rui Hachimura, Cam Johnson, Carmelo Anthony and KJ Martin Jr., who guarded him most often.

He's still capable of a big game, scoring 25 or more points six times late last year. His highest-scoring night since 2015 came on February 24, 2021, when he shot 10-for-12 from three in a 15-point Hawks win over the Celtics. Stevens quipped at Gallinari's press conference that's when he started to think about moving to the front office.

"Gallo obviously had the huge game against us (in 2021)," Stevens said. "I don't know that I've ever coached a team that played as bad as we did that night, so we definitely played a role in his (38) points, but we'll give him credit for the 10 threes off the bench. He tried to play that off, we talked about it last night." 

Gallinari's spot-up jumper accounted for 37.3% of his plays, on which he averaged 1.18 points per possession, finishing in the 88th percentile of the league. As recently as the 2018 and 2019 seasons, he ranked among the top 10% most efficient jump shooters in the NBA. Throughout his career, he's been in line with the NBA average from nearly every location on the floor, making him a double-figure scorer showing up to the building. He's also flexible, giving his team roughly one screen-and-roll/pop, transition run and cut to the basket each game at an above-average efficiency. As Stevens mentioned, Gallinari shot 50% on 1.8 post-ups per game, which qualified as the 79th percentile. 

The Celtics also hope he'll bring some positional versatility, which is where Udoka will need to experiment to find his sweet spot. Al Horford should continue to start games at the four and Grant Williams'defensive versatility and floor spacing in that same role keyed the Celtics' depth last year. Gallinari sees himself as a four, but Stevens and Udoka hope he can sneak in some minutes at the five. 

Basketball Reference tracked 36% of his 2021 minutes and 24% of his playing time last year coming at center. Those mostly came playing alongside 6-9 forward John Collins, who would handle some of the physical matchups and rebounding, playing 386 minutes together and breaking even (net -0.3 as a duo). Atlanta sprinkled in Gallinari alone with Bogdan Bogdanovic, but he spent 632 minutes with Clint Capela, 503 with Onyeka Okongwu and 130 with Gorgui Dieng. That left only a handful of minutes where Gallinari was actually guarding opposing bigs.

Gallinari's most common matchups in 2022 were Caleb Martin, Jaxson Hayes, Grant Williams, Rui Hachimura, KJ Martin Jr., Obi Toppin, Jae'Sean Tate and Horford. While some of those players are big men, the more common denominator is that he stuck to stationary shooters and dunkers, avoiding the ball-handlers who scored efficiently against him and logging minimal minutes against opposing guards. 

Gallinari inevitably won't fit the switch-everything system Williams III, Horford and Grant all could adapt to when needed. Udoka deployed plenty of drop coverages for his bigs too and switched along the perimeter. That opens a narrow window to use Gallinari hidden on shooters with Horford and Williams III dropping. Grant will need to up his rebounding, but he can size up against bigs in tandem with Gallo. 

Opponents shot 48.8% against Gallinari last year, finding particular success going inside, while he ranked in the 34th percentile guarding spot-up jumpers and held his own (74th percentile) against isolations. He's an average rebounder for his size, with a 17.8 DREB% comparable to Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Ingram and Brown. Integrating Gallinari will definitely change the dynamic of a no-mismatches C's rotation. 

"I think the way that teams work together and operate together are fragile," Stevens said entering the offseason. "I think your identity as a team, when you find one that's successful, which we did this year on the defensive end of the floor and when we were at our best sharing the ball offensively. Those things are fragile and so just to add doesn't mean that you're not taking something away from the group. To change significant pieces in the group doesn't mean that that might not take your identity and shift it in a direction that's not as successful. It's quite a fine line. If you asked me right now what we need, I'd like to have a little bit more consistent scoring off the bench." 

That made the Gallinari signing surprising as his availability. Udoka preferred a tight rotation last season and Tatum averaged 36 minutes, Brown close to 34, Williams III 30, Horford 29, Grant 24.4 and Daniel Theis filled in 18.7 when he played after arriving after the trade deadline. If we consider Gallinari part of the front court, there'll be nights where Horford rests where roughly 30 minutes gets spread across Grant, Gallinari with another big man sitting more often than not. 

That's where Luke Kornet could find a role on this team in case of injury, or send Grant will return to a pseudo-big role. Grant said earlier this month he's ready for anything Udoka throws at him. It's less likely Gallinari spells Brown and Tatum for long, given his defensive limitations. 

Gallinari's scoring prowess at least makes him an innings eater in case of injury or a back-to-back. There may be games where he doesn't play much at all, particularly once the postseason arrives. He'll be better than Aaron Nesmith was last season though, which isn't a high bar, but the only one Gallinari needs to clear to be helpful for this roster as long as he isn't expecting a major role on the team. 

"The chemistry, how hard they played, the system. You could really see how the system and the guys were able to get better every game, every month, through the run they had. It was amazing to see," Gallinari said. "What I can bring or what I do? I've been doing it, you guy know, I've been a pretty versatile player, I've played in different systems, but I've always fit it well. There are a lot of things I can do defensively and offensively. I'm sure I can add and gel right away in the chemistry with the team and with the guys that we have." 

Here's what else happened in the NBA this week...

Boston: Celtics president Brad Stevens addressed the Jaylen Brown-Kevin Durant trade saga on WEEI after Durant reportedly rescinded his trade request, confirming he's been in touch with Brown and that it's his job to check in on possible deals. Stevens said the team will put its best foot forward to keep Brown around long-term. 

“I’m not going to go into any conversations that we had, because I don’t think that’s appropriate," Stevens said. "But my job is to know what costs are and then ultimately determine whether or not we want to be involved in any deal with any team around the league." 

Stevens went on to say the Celtics have been satisfied with their roster since trading for Malcolm Brogdon on July 9, with younger players set to return to Boston alongside several veterans on tryout deals for training camp next month. Bruno Caboclo officially signed his deal on Friday, with Noah Vonleh and Denzel Valentine expected to follow. Boston still has two offseason spots open with only 12 of 15 active roster slots filled.

Brooklyn: The Kevin Durant trade request came to an end after 54 days, with rivals continuing to low-ball the Nets, who came together in Los Angeles to agree to reunite this season. It's unclear how permanent of a resolution Sean Marks, Steve Nash and Joe Tsai came to in the meeting, as it seems Kyrie Irving is no more likely to receive a long-term extension than he was before. Durant ultimately had little leverage beyond holding out as he begins a four-year contract. Marks stressed a focus on basketball in the team's press release, which hasn't been the case for the better part of three years for this Brooklyn collective. Durant's returns should put the Nets back in position to contend if his fellow veterans, particularly Ben Simmons, play to their potential. If they get off to a slow start, it'll be interesting how quickly Durant backs out. 

Chicago: Reportedly interested in forward Kostas Antetokounmpo, a curious pursuit after Giannis Antetokounmpo embraced the idea of one day playing for the Bulls in a promotional interview earlier this month. Kostas played last season in ASVEL Basket in France last season after past stints with the Mavericks and Lakers, who he won the 2020 championship with. Giannis can't become a free agent until 2025, but even the hope of him reaching free agency in 2021 had teams lining up money for that offseason as he's become arguably the best player in the sport. Giannis' other brothers Thanasis and Alex play for the Bucks and Milwaukee's G-League affiliate, the Herd, respectively. Of more immediate importance, second-year Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu discussed his offseason improvements to his body with ESPN. 

Denver: Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. appear ready for the start of the 2022-23 season, with Porter playing in pick-up runs with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and other stars in Los Angeles. Murray told an Australian outlet he won't be available for full-fledged, 40-minute efforts, but does expect to start the season and return to full strength at some point. Murray, Porter and Nikola Jokic last played together on April 12, 2021, Jokic doing the heavy lifting on the way to back-to-back MVP awards. He'll lead Team Serbia starting this month in Eurobasket, already having saved the nation's 2023 World Cup hopes with a win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece this week.

Golden State: Jonathan Kuminga debuted for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in World Cup qualifiers, scoring 18 points with six rebounds on 4-for-15 shooting in a close loss to Cameroon. Stephen A. Smith recently expressed concerns about the second-year forward's discipline from within the Warriors as they prepare to rely on him more after losing multiple forwards in free agency this summer. Rookie Patrick Baldwin Jr. wasn't expected to be in the mix for minutes on a championship team, but a Warriors staffer told the San Francisco Chronicle they've been shocked by his production since joining the team, perhaps carving out his chance to push Kuminga. 

Houston: Kevin Porter Jr. and the Rockets have expressed shared interest in signing an extension ahead of the guard's free agency next summer. He averaged 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists in his second season with the Rockets and first in the NBA reaching 60 games played. Porter left a game early amid maturity issues that ended his Cavaliers tenure quickly. Houston believed in him as a point guard and he showed flashes, but his 22-year-old season is bound to be a prove-it year towards his future with the Rockets and in the league. He'll make $3.2-million this season before Houston can offer him a $4.8-million qualifying offer next summer, making him a restricted free agent. Veteran big man Boban Marjonovic will join him on the Rockets this year after being traded from Dallas, as he isn't expected to be cut. 

Indiana: Hope for a trade between the Lakers and Pacers that would swap Russell Westbrook alongside two future first-round picks for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner revived after the Lakers acquired Patrick Beverley this week in a move that cast some doubt on Westbrook's LA future. Whether it happens before or into the season, it's now the most likely Westbrook trade given that the Nets are running it back with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The deal is a no-brainer for Indiana, given that they'd have access to first-round Lakers picks that may come after the departure of both LeBron James and Anthony Davis in 2027 and 2029. LA reportedly balked at adding a second first-rounder though, ending earlier talks between the sides. The Pacers remain one of three obvious Westbrook trade partners, according to Eric Pincus, who later noted the Lakers could even loop in a third team like the Jazz and add a player like Bojan Bogdanovic ($19.3M), but at a luxury tax hit of $80-million. In other words, unlikely. 

Clippers: The $2-billion Inglewood arena planned to open as the Clippers' exclusive home starting in the 2024-25 season continues to come together, with Steve Ballmer funding and overseeing unique details from bathroom totals to a wall of 51 uninterrupted rows court side hoping to create a wall of sound. It's several years away, but Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have player options for that year and hope to secure the team's first championship in the meantime as they both return from injury-riddled 2021-22 seasons this year. Ballmer has poured money into the franchise since buying it amid the Donald Sterling controversy in 2014. He reportedly has no interest in buying the nearby LA Angels.

Lakers: Traded Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson to the Jazz for veteran defender Patrick Beverley, a late offseason move to shake up the back court and perhaps set the stage for a difficult decision on Russell Westbrook's future next month. Beverley and LeBron James tweeted their excitement for a big Westbrook season as many wondered how Beverley and Westbrook would team up after Beverley infamously charged Westbrook with an aggressive steal attempt in the closing minutes of a 2013 playoff game and tore Westbrook's meniscus. The guards traded shots over the years, Westbrook saying Beverley tricked everyone into giving him the reputation of a defensive stopper while Beverley chided Westbrook's stat obsession. It's hard to imagine them playing together stylistically too, never mind sharing the room. 

Beverley, 34, is on a one-year, $13-million deal while Westbrook's massive contract expires next summer too. He only played 146 games over the past three seasons, but improved his shooting to 37.2% from three in limited attempts (4.0 per game) while getting credited for a chemistry shakeup in Minnesota that led to their second playoff appearance since 2004. His addition is part of a Lakers pivot toward defense and it feels like more change could be coming before opening night. Johnson is a real loss on the wing, but Horton-Tucker's two-year, $21.3-million contract had taken on bad value. It fell $75k short of matching Beverley's money, hence Johnson's inclusion. The trade opened a Lakers roster spot. 

Memphis: Made a late entry into the Kevin Durant sweepstakes that showed how dire the market had become before Durant revoked his demand earlier this week. Shams Charania reported Memphis preferred to build a package around future draft picks, and held Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane out of any potential package. The Grizzlies will instead move forward with their roster built around Ja Morant that reached the second round of the playoffs. Jackson could miss time following foot surgery, while Kyle Anderson walked for Minnesota. They have 16 players on the active roster, 18 total, with Danny Green recovering from ACL surgery on a non-guaranteed deal. Big man Killian Tillie, rookie Kenneth Lofton Jr. and Santi Almada are on the edge of the roster competing for roles, The Commerical Appeal wrote.

Miami: Landed on Donovan Mitchell's list of preferred teams alongside the Knicks and Nets. The Heat are unlikely to land the star guard though, with Miami lacking the assets and draft picks Utah is coveting to deal Mitchell, who hasn't stressed urgency to leave the Jazz quickly. As Udonis Haslem returns to the team for a 20th and final season in his mentorship role, the team will retire his No. 40, Pat Riley announced. He'll join Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Chris Bosh, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal, along with the forthcoming league-wide retirement of Bill Russell's No. 6 and an additional No. 6 retirement Miami is planning for LeBron James in the future. 

Milwaukee: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 40 points for Greece, the most ever in a World Cup qualifier, as they fell in a key game against Serbia ahead of next month's EuroBasket tournament. Antetokounmpo added eight rebounds and five assists, and Greece remained second in their division in which the top three teams will advance from to play in the 2023 World Cup. Nikola Jokic kept Serbia alive, tied for fourth, at 2-3 behind Latvia, Greece and Belgium. Antetokounmpo will lead Greece into EuroBasket alongside former NBA players Georgios Papagiannis, Nick Calathes, Giannis' three brothers and Mavericks guard Tyler Dorsey. They open on Sept. 2 against Croatia. 

Minnesota: Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince was arrested in Miami on a warrant from Texas stemming from allegedly carrying two guns with a THC vape pen and marijuana, which is illegal in Texas. Arlington police enacted the warrant on charges of Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon and Possession of Marijuana < 2oz and Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 2 < 1g. Prince reportedly purchased the guns legally. The Timberwolves, who signed Prince to a two-year, $14.6-million contract this offseason, announced they're aware of the report. 

New Orleans: Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Devonte' Graham, Dyson Daniels, Jaxson Hayes and Kira Lewis Jr. are participating in players-only workouts in California ahead of training camp, which Brandon Ingram, Larry Nance Jr. and Jose Alvarado are expected to join. Jonas Valanciunas is competing in Europe for Lithuania, while it's unclear if Zion Williamson and C.J. McCollum will take part in it. 

New York: Unsurprisingly on Donovan Mitchell's short list of destinations if the Jazz trade him, which Brian Windhorst indicated Utah hopes to do before training camp. The two sides engaged again earlier this month, with The Athletic recently reporting the Jazz have multiple offers on the table. The Cavaliers are no longer a fellow suitor, and all along it felt like the Knicks and their array of future draft picks and young players would be the most likely destination as New York looks to energize its fan base. Danny Ainge is reportedly seeking four unprotected first-round picks from the Knicks, and Ian Begley added that Ainge could even be interested in R.J. Barrett. That's an unlikely scenario given Barrett's contract expiring next summer and with the forward remaining a critical part of New York's future. 

Oklahoma City: No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren suffered a Lisfranc right foot injury in the CrawsOver Pro-Am event in Seattle and will miss the entire 2022-23 season. It's a devastating blow to a Thunder team still in the middle of rebuilding, but hoping to see enough promise in Holmgren to think they can turn the corner in the near future. Now, they'll inevitably finish near the bottom of the league for the third straight season. Holmgren tweaked his ankle early in Summer League and the injury happened on a freak play guarding LeBron James in transition, but it'll inevitably raise questions about the skinny big man's ability to stay healthy in the NBA and the viability of sanctioned Pro-Am events. Jayson Tatum played against Holmgren in the competition, burying a flurry of early threes before the game got called off due to a wet floor. 

"Certainly, we are disappointed for Chet, especially given the excitement he had about getting on the floor with his teammates this season," Thunder GM Sam Presti said in response. "We know Chet has a long career ahead of him within our organization and the Oklahoma City community. One of the things that most impressed us during the process of selecting Chet was his determination and focus. We expect that same tenacity will carry him through this period of time as we work together and support him during his rehabilitation."

Portland: Sean Deveney reported the Celtics could have interest in Justise Winslow if the Blazers decide to move on. The 6-6 forward will be 26 this season and has suffered through an injury-plagued career, only appearing in 37 games with the Clippers before landing in Portland for 11 games after the Norman Powell trade. Winslow averaged 10.7 PPG, 6.3 PRG and 2.9 APG on 40.5% shooting in his short Blazers stint, still bringing size and defensive intangibles to the table, but he's due to make $4.1-million guaranteed this year. The Celtics could absorb that into a trade exception, though the true hit would be over $15 million in real money considering the luxury tax penalty. That's not worth it. 

Sacramento: Something I had no clue of before reading this story -- Kings GM Bill Russell was the one who pulled off the trade to bring Celtics guard Danny Ainge to Sacramento. Russell had a short stint as head coach and lead executive of the franchise before retiring. 

San Antonio: It makes sense that the Spurs would be linked to Westbrook. Like the Pacers, they could send veterans like Josh Richardson, Jakob Poetl or Doug McDermott to LA as the San Antonio rebuilds and takes on a future first-round pick or two. Would San Antonio take on Westbrook for one of them, where it seems like the Pacers are set on both the 2027 and 2029 selections? It seems unlikely, otherwise a deal would probably be done by now. If Richardson and Poetl are available though, they may be better fits for LA than Buddy Hield and Myles Turner. McDermott, signed for two years, is less appealing to the Lakers, who have the potential to clear significant cap space next year.

Toronto: Brian Windhorst started wagging his fingers again on a Hoop Collective podcast wondering why the Raptors hadn't signed second-round pick Christian Koloko. A long-term contract would hard cap the Raptors, he noted, who don't have cap space or the mid-level exception to sign a three-year deal like many second-rounders receive. The holdout seemed linked to Toronto's desire to remain flexible if a Kevin Durant trade came together. That ended when Durant rescinded his trade demand, and the Raptors quickly signed Koloko to a minimum deal.

Utah: Roster reset after the Patrick Beverley trade -- the Jazz have 14 players on their roster and a pair of two-way contracts. Talen Horton-Tucker should have more opportunity to play with the ball in his hands once Utah finalizes its roster and Stanley Johnson showed spurts of strong defensive play with the Lakers. The Jazz didn't get any picks in the trade though, so unless Horton-Tucker's contract gets used in a bigger deal or either player is eventually sold for assets then this deal doesn't help Utah much. It might've been all Beverley is worth though. Jordan Clarkson, Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Malik Beasley and Rudy Gay remain as veterans who could be similarly dealt. 

Washington: Johnny Davis, the Wizards' 20-year-old, No. 10 overall pick in this year's draft might be one of the most underdiscussed rookies from the top of the class. He played poorly in Summer League, averaging 8.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 1.7 APG on 29.6% shooting. The Athletic garnered some scouting assessments of the rookie ahead of training camp, receiving high marks for his competitiveness, intangibles and playing above his size, particularly at the rim, but with the scouts questioning his defense, quickness and athleticism.