Atlanta Hawks: Grading veteran Danilo Gallinari’s first season

When the Atlanta Hawks traded for Danilo Gallinari, they were looking to get a veteran big man who could help space the floor for Trae Young. There are also some who would suggest that Gallinari was insurance if they could not re-sign John Collins for the 2021-22 season.

The season did not start well for Gallinari. He rolled his ankle on the foot of a player early in the second game that he played. The big Italian would then miss the next ten games and the Hawks really missed the big man.

The unfortunate thing for Gallinari and the Hawks was that his style, for the most part, did not suit the lack of gameplan employed by ex-head coach Lloyd Pierce. He did have some highs’ like his 38 point effort against the Boston Celtics, but there were a lot of games where he did not have an impact.

The Atlanta Hawks then appointed Nate McMillan and Danilo Gallinari benefitted

It seemed as though as soon as McMillan took over that Gallinari responded. His game relies on systems so that he can get a clean shot from deep. If there is no structure to the way a team plays, Gallinari is relying on others to spot him so that he can get his shots.

Prior to the 20-19-20 season where he was traded from the LA Clippers, Gallinari stated that he was going to prioritize winning over money. Given that he signed a three-year, $61 million deal as part of a sign and trade with the Hawks, it is pretty safe to say that he got both this year.