Looking at three things that Danilo Gallinari will bring the Atlanta Hawks.
The Atlanta Hawks reportedly reached a deal with free-agent forward Danilo Gallinari. The deal, first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, is reportedly worth $61.5 million over three seasons.
Free agent F Danilo Gallinari is finalizing a three-year, $61.5M contract with the Atlanta Hawks, his agent Michael Tellem of CAA Sports tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2020
The deal is obviously a big one. Outside guys like Brandon Ingram and Anthony Davis, who are near locks to re-up with their current teams, Gallinari was seen by many to be the top free agent on the market.
The Italian forward has one of the best seasons of his career in 2019-20, recording 18.7 points per game on 46.3 percent shooting. He played a key role on the Thunder team that drastically over-achieved.
He’ll now join an Atlanta Hawks team that underachieved last season but is obviously ready to reverse their losing ways.
Here we’ll be taking a look at three ways Gallinari will help Atlanta and what he’ll bring to the table.
Things Danilo Gallinari will bring Atlanta Hawks
#1 – Versatility
Gallo has long been seen as one of the league’s most versatile players. His official position on Basketball-Reference reads as: “Power forward and small forward and shooting guard.” Standing at 6-foot-10, he could also play some center in a pinch.
More than just positional interchangeability, the veteran forward is multidimensional as a scorer. He can shoot 3s, score in the post, create looks for himself and finish in transition.
He’s also seen as a phenomenal passer for his size and can hold his own on the glass.
That versatility makes it hard to pin down exactly what the forward will give Atlanta. The answer is nearly everything (on offense). It’s his greatest strength and means he’ll almost always make an impact on the game.
If he’s having an off night from deep, he can adapt and score inside, and vice versa.
#2 – Trae Young’s best friend
Hopefully, the two really get it off and become friends off the court, but the two will really click on the court. Not only will Gallo be a great target for Young’s game-changing dimes, but he’ll also give him some much-needed relief.
The Hawks were bad last season despite Young’s superstar efforts because he was the only player who could make his own offense. Sure, John Collins is also very good, but most of his offense comes from working off young in the pick-and-roll.
Gallinari can help change that. He’s one of the best big men in the league when it comes to creating his own shot. Touched on this a little on the last slide but it really is great with the ball in his hands.
Not many players in the league have the ability to make plays at three levels as he does, and the number of big men who have better handles than him can be counted on one hand. He can be the rim-running lob threat, or he can facilitate the offense.
Young is still the unquestioned leader of the Hawks’ offense, but even the best players need a possession off. Gallinari will easily help that, giving the Hawks a new flair offensively.
#3 – Solid defense
Gallinari is definitely better offensively than defensively, but he’s no slouch on D. He can hold his own, especially when matched up with similar players to himself. He runs into a bit more trouble when he’s tasked with covering big, bruising big men or quick, shifty guards.
He’s not going to rack up big steals or blocks numbers, but the Hawks don’t really need that. Clint Capela, John Collins and rookie Onyeka Okongwu can handle the interior defense while Gallo can hang back and pick up the slack when needed.
Patrick Beverley on Danilo Gallinari's defense: "He's an underrated defensive player. He knows all the schemes, is the loudest on the court, talks the most. He's a real big factor on our defensive end." #ClipperNation pic.twitter.com/jIKjWiK6zr
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) March 16, 2019
The Atlanta Hawks were among the worst defensive teams in the league in 2019-20 and the signing 100 percent won’t make them worse, even if it doesn’t make them a whole lot better either.
All in all, I think it’s a tremendous signing for the Atlanta Hawks, definitely among the best they could do in a weak free agency class. They didn’t overpay, leaving them in position to grab another stud like perhaps Bogdan Bogdanovic.
What do you think of the Danilo Gallinari signing?