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Nuggets' Gallinari feels 'great,' continues to question surgeries

Chris Humphreys / USA Today Sports

Danilo Gallinari hasn't appeared in an NBA game since April 2013, but that will change come November, as the Denver Nuggets forward is finally healthy.

An ACL tear has kept Gallinari on the shelf since late in the 2012-13 season, and the injury required multiple surgeries to repair. That's because Gallinari first opted to go through what's called the "healing response" made famous by Dr. Richard Steadman in Colorado, a procedure that was supposed to be less invasive but ultimately failed to repair the ligament.

Gallinari eventually had to have the reconstructive surgery that most ACL tears require, and he's been very vocal in his regret for going the Dr. Steadman route. Earlier this week, he even suggested he would write a book about the experience when all's said and done, as he "made the wrong choice" and there were "many incidents I haven't revealed yet."

You can read more about Gallinari's displeasure with the first procedure, as well as Dr. Steadman's track record with other high-profile athletes, here, but the key here for Nuggets fans is that Gallinari is recovered and ready to go.

"I feel great," Gallinari said. "I am ready to return seven months after my last knee surgery. I had a few contact practices in Milan. Now I have to regain confidence and be ready."

Gallinari also highlighted the mental aspect of a comeback from a long layover, and it would behoove Nuggets to expect something less than peak 2012-13 Gallo right out of the gate. Eventually, he'll be a major addition to a team that could be on the fringe of the playoffs in the Western Conference, as he was averaging 16.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 2012-13 before the injury, and is still just 26 years old.

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