Atlanta Hawks: Grading every offseason move
Danilo Gallinari: 3 years, $61.5 million
More veteran experience for the Atlanta Hawks with this move. Over his 12-year career, Danilo Gallinari has shown that he can simply score the basketball. One of the most efficient scorers in the league, Galo averaged 18.7 points per game shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from three last season.
Gallinari and Bogdanovic will do a lot to improve the Hawks shooting this season. At six-foot-ten, Gallinari will back up John Collins and stretch the floor to make room for Collins and Clint Capela in the paint. Adding their new draft pick Onyeka Okungwu will sure up any doubts on the defensive side that Gallinari might give you.
The only issue I might find with this move is the price tag. Paying $20 million a year for a 32-year-old bench player is a lot. No doubt about it. But, as I stated earlier, the Hawks had money to spend. Grabbing a still-deadly 3-point shooter and giving the frontcourt the mentorship that the backcourt got with the addition of Rondo is not a bad move. Given the depth the Hawks now have, there’s no reason for Galo to rack up minutes at a rapid pace, so that should ease the mind of any who might bring up his health issues.
The name of the game is to score the ball. Danilo Gallinari can do that. Really well. Any time you add supreme shooting, you’re doing a good job.