Nuggets' GM on Danilo Gallinari: 'He's not just back, but he's better than ever'
The last two years have been extremely frustrating for Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari.
After battling a season-ending injury, followed by a botched surgery, the 26-year-old Italian sharpshooter was robbed of nearly two years of his prime.
Gallinari has now regained his health and is leading Team Italy in the Eurobasket tournament this September. His most recent outing saw him torch Turkey with a 33-point performance on 9-of-10 shooting from the floor and 14-of-15 from the charity stripe.
His performance drew effusive praise from Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly, who spoke to Mile High Sports on Tuesday.
"His play so far in the first couple of games with the Italian team ... has really clearly illustrated that he's not just back, but he's better than ever," Connelly said after making a trip overseas to watch his players play in Eurobasket 2015.
Through two games, Gallinari posted averages of 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 26.5 minutes per game. He also ranked as the most efficient scorer in the tournament through its early stages.
Here's a very early look at which NBA players are playing well at Eurobasket to this point. pic.twitter.com/j4L9C4LdPE
— Synergy Sports Tech (@SynergySST) September 8, 2015
Gallinari's performance builds off a strong finish in what was otherwise a lost 2014-15 campaign for Denver. As he slowly regained his strength, he submitted a stretch of brilliant performances from March onward, averaging 19.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game on 40 percent shooting from deep.
That run also featured a 40- and 47-point performance from a seemingly rejuvenated Gallinari.
Connelly and the Nuggets must have been taken by his progress, as they inked him to a two-year, $34-million extension that kicks in after 2016. The deal pleased Gallinari, too, who admitted that he was "very fast in saying yes."