The Knicks’ Danilo Gallinari said he rejected the notion he was a star.SAN FRANCISCO — Over the span of six quarters, played over two nights, in two time zones, Danilo Gallinari unleashed a small arsenal of offensive artistry: swift drives, clever fakes, fadeaways, dunks, layups, 3-pointers and a steady string of free throws.
On Tuesday night, Gallinari helped spearhead a furious second-half rally in a loss in Denver. On Wednesday, he propelled the Knicks to a victory in Sacramento. He was dynamic, confident, crafty — everything the Knicks hoped he could be when they made him the sixth pick in the 2008 draft.
The expectations have at times been too much to handle. Gallinari has embraced the spotlight, but he is weary of the scrutiny and the questions that accompany every subpar game. This season has had more than its share.
So after six breakthrough quarters, in which he looked very much like a potential star, the 22-year-old Gallinari swiftly punctured the notion of his stardom.
“I know you expect a lot from me, and people expect a lot from me,” Gallinari said late Wednesday night, “but I’m not a superstar, I’m not an All-Star, I’m not LeBron, I’m not those great players. I’m an important player of the Knicks. And that’s what I’m trying to do, to help the team every time. Sometimes, can be these type of games, sometimes not. But as long as we win, it’s all good.”
It was a surprising response, and entirely unsolicited. Gallinari had just posted consecutive 20-point games for the first time this season — 21 in Denver and a season-high 27 in Sacramento — and was simply asked if he needed a performance like this for his confidence.
He could have nodded and offered perfunctory agreement. Instead, he took the question as an opportunity to push back against the outsize expectations that have been thrust upon him since June 2008. Coach Mike D’Antoni once called Gallinari the best shooter he had ever seen. Amar’e Stoudemire has compared Gallinari to Dirk Nowitzki, a perennial All-Star. Nowitzki himself made the comparison last spring, and said that Gallinari was better than he was at the same age.
D’Antoni interpreted Gallinari’s remarks as overstated modesty.
“He’s very secure in who he is and he’s very confident,” D’Antoni said. “He can tell you one thing, but he may think another. But I think he knows he has a lot of work to do to get where those guys are. He’s not up there. I don’t think that says he can’t get there, he’s just not them yet.”
In the past, Gallinari has seemed happy to accept all the lofty compliments and predictions. That changed this fall, as he wrestled with trade rumors, an injured shooting wrist and his first prolonged slump. The more he struggled, the more Gallinari seemed eager to blend in among his new teammates, to be considered just a piece of a Knicks revival instead of a franchise savior.
Stoudemire carries that mantle, but the burden on Gallinari has not entirely lifted. He is the Knicks’ highest draft pick in 24 years and might be their most talented player after Stoudemire. The Knicks need him to become at least a complementary star to contend in the Eastern Conference.
That potential was abundantly clear Wednesday night, when Gallinari scored 27 points on only 8 field-goal attempts. He did most of his work from the free-throw line, taking a career-high 17 attempts and making 16. The performance shattered the cliché image of Gallinari as a one-dimensional shooter. A night earlier in Denver, Gallinari showed his aggression in another area, grabbing 10 rebounds.
Gallinari made his reputation in Italy as a brilliant all-around scorer. But back surgery during his rookie year forced him to become a shooting specialist, and it has taken time for him to reclaim his full repertory.
There is a quiet confidence about Gallinari, showmanship balanced by modesty. He clearly knows he is capable of great things, but he is wary of seeming egotistical. His sudden declaration that he is not a star sounded more like a defense mechanism during a trying period than an actual statement of purpose.
“It’s not my goal,” he said. “You know me, so I never say that. It’s not in my mind. It’s not in my mind. My mind is to win with this franchise. I’ve been selected and picked by this franchise three years ago. I want to stay here. I want to win with this franchise. That’s all that is in my mind. I’ve been working with the coaches; the coaches know what I can do and I’m just trying to be the best player I can.”
REBOUNDS
Kelenna Azubuike took part in an informal scrimmage after practice Thursday, the first anniversary of his knee surgery. Azubuike has participated in some full-court scrimmages over the past week, but has yet to participate in a full practice and there is no timetable for his return. Azubuike had surgery last Nov. 18 to repair a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. ... Anthony Randolph probably will not play Friday against the Golden State Warriors, his former team. ... Timofey Mozgov is questionable for Friday’s game because of a sore left calf. ... David Lee is still recovering from an elbow infection and will not play on Friday.
src: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/19/sports/basketball/19knicks.html?ref=sports
On Tuesday night, Gallinari helped spearhead a furious second-half rally in a loss in Denver. On Wednesday, he propelled the Knicks to a victory in Sacramento. He was dynamic, confident, crafty — everything the Knicks hoped he could be when they made him the sixth pick in the 2008 draft.
The expectations have at times been too much to handle. Gallinari has embraced the spotlight, but he is weary of the scrutiny and the questions that accompany every subpar game. This season has had more than its share.
So after six breakthrough quarters, in which he looked very much like a potential star, the 22-year-old Gallinari swiftly punctured the notion of his stardom.
“I know you expect a lot from me, and people expect a lot from me,” Gallinari said late Wednesday night, “but I’m not a superstar, I’m not an All-Star, I’m not LeBron, I’m not those great players. I’m an important player of the Knicks. And that’s what I’m trying to do, to help the team every time. Sometimes, can be these type of games, sometimes not. But as long as we win, it’s all good.”
It was a surprising response, and entirely unsolicited. Gallinari had just posted consecutive 20-point games for the first time this season — 21 in Denver and a season-high 27 in Sacramento — and was simply asked if he needed a performance like this for his confidence.
He could have nodded and offered perfunctory agreement. Instead, he took the question as an opportunity to push back against the outsize expectations that have been thrust upon him since June 2008. Coach Mike D’Antoni once called Gallinari the best shooter he had ever seen. Amar’e Stoudemire has compared Gallinari to Dirk Nowitzki, a perennial All-Star. Nowitzki himself made the comparison last spring, and said that Gallinari was better than he was at the same age.
D’Antoni interpreted Gallinari’s remarks as overstated modesty.
“He’s very secure in who he is and he’s very confident,” D’Antoni said. “He can tell you one thing, but he may think another. But I think he knows he has a lot of work to do to get where those guys are. He’s not up there. I don’t think that says he can’t get there, he’s just not them yet.”
In the past, Gallinari has seemed happy to accept all the lofty compliments and predictions. That changed this fall, as he wrestled with trade rumors, an injured shooting wrist and his first prolonged slump. The more he struggled, the more Gallinari seemed eager to blend in among his new teammates, to be considered just a piece of a Knicks revival instead of a franchise savior.
Stoudemire carries that mantle, but the burden on Gallinari has not entirely lifted. He is the Knicks’ highest draft pick in 24 years and might be their most talented player after Stoudemire. The Knicks need him to become at least a complementary star to contend in the Eastern Conference.
That potential was abundantly clear Wednesday night, when Gallinari scored 27 points on only 8 field-goal attempts. He did most of his work from the free-throw line, taking a career-high 17 attempts and making 16. The performance shattered the cliché image of Gallinari as a one-dimensional shooter. A night earlier in Denver, Gallinari showed his aggression in another area, grabbing 10 rebounds.
Gallinari made his reputation in Italy as a brilliant all-around scorer. But back surgery during his rookie year forced him to become a shooting specialist, and it has taken time for him to reclaim his full repertory.
There is a quiet confidence about Gallinari, showmanship balanced by modesty. He clearly knows he is capable of great things, but he is wary of seeming egotistical. His sudden declaration that he is not a star sounded more like a defense mechanism during a trying period than an actual statement of purpose.
“It’s not my goal,” he said. “You know me, so I never say that. It’s not in my mind. It’s not in my mind. My mind is to win with this franchise. I’ve been selected and picked by this franchise three years ago. I want to stay here. I want to win with this franchise. That’s all that is in my mind. I’ve been working with the coaches; the coaches know what I can do and I’m just trying to be the best player I can.”
REBOUNDS
Kelenna Azubuike took part in an informal scrimmage after practice Thursday, the first anniversary of his knee surgery. Azubuike has participated in some full-court scrimmages over the past week, but has yet to participate in a full practice and there is no timetable for his return. Azubuike had surgery last Nov. 18 to repair a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. ... Anthony Randolph probably will not play Friday against the Golden State Warriors, his former team. ... Timofey Mozgov is questionable for Friday’s game because of a sore left calf. ... David Lee is still recovering from an elbow infection and will not play on Friday.
src: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/19/sports/basketball/19knicks.html?ref=sports
