Danilo Gallinari’s latest comment turned plenty of heads this week, and it came with the kind of confidence only a veteran can really get away with. After two seasons away from the league, the former Hawk said, "I'm probably the biggest what-if guy in the history of the game."
That’s a bold line, no question. But if you zoom in on what Gallinari did during Atlanta’s 2021 playoff run, it’s not hard to see why he’d put himself in that conversation.
The Hawks needed him in a very specific way in the first round against the Julius Randle-led Knicks. Gallinari wasn’t there to pile up points so much as to give Atlanta size on the wing and help on the glass.
New York had the kind of big, physical group that could wear teams down, with Randle and Robinson anchoring the front line. Gallinari’s frame at the 3-4 spot helped the Hawks survive that series and move on in five games, a run that was comfortable on paper and chaotic in practice.
Then came Philadelphia, and Gallinari looked much more like the scorer he once was. He averaged 15 points per game while shooting 46-44-96 in the series, giving Atlanta the spacing it needed against a tough Sixers defense. That stretch opened the floor for Trae Young and helped the Hawks keep pressing forward.
For Gallinari, that was a reminder of the earlier version of himself - the one his “what if” remark seems aimed at. Before Atlanta, he had already built a career as a serious offensive piece, first with the Knicks and then with the Nuggets.
In New York, he was part of a lineup that featured four players scoring at least 15 points per game, with David Lee leading the way. Gallinari carved out a major role there as a high-volume scoring wing, even while sharing the offense with plenty of other options.
Then came the 2011 move to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony deal, and that’s where he really took off. Gallinari became an efficient shooter from deep, but he also brought enough athleticism to defend multiple spots. Even after the ACL injury in 2013, he still helped lift the young Jokic Nuggets into relevance in a crowded Western Conference, putting up nearly 20 points per game in back-to-back seasons.
That’s why the “what if” discussion has some real weight to it. His best scoring numbers came after the injury, which naturally leaves room to wonder what he might have been if he’d stayed at full athletic strength a little longer.
Still, Gallinari’s career has plenty to look back on with appreciation, especially in Atlanta. Hawks fans have every reason to remember him fondly.
Without The Rooster, that unforgettable 2021 playoff run almost certainly ends sooner. And while the biggest “what if” label may be a stretch, he’s clearly in the mix.
In Other News...
Hawks Face A Starting Lineup Debate That Could Reshape The Rotation
The Hawks offseason reshaping has left them with a real lineup puzzle before training camp even starts. With a roster that now includes CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels and Lu Dort in the mix, the team has enough guard and wing talent to create options, but also enough overlap to make the first five anything but settled. The discussion is no longer just about who belongs on the floor, but how Atlanta can balance scoring, defense and role fit without dulling either end of the roster.
Lu Dort looms as the most obvious name to tilt the conversation, given what he brings on the perimeter and the kind of steadiness coaches trust in a starting role. But the deeper question is whether Atlanta decides to keep all of its best pieces together at the top or use one of its established guards to anchor the second unit and give the bench more punch. However it shakes out, the choice could say as much about the Hawks identity as it does about the opening-night lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Just Reshaped Quin Snyders Staff In A Way Fans Will Feel
The Hawks continue to reshape the organization around Quin Snyder, and the latest round of changes reaches well beyond the bench. Atlanta announced three coaching hires in Jason Love, Ettore Messina and Sergi Oliva, while the front office has also seen movement with Bryson Graham heading to the Bulls, Kyle Korver departing and Peter Dinwiddie plus Maxwell Kupchak moving up the ladder. Ronald Nored is off to become head coach at Butler, so the overall picture is one of a staff and support group getting reworked in real time.
For fans, the more important part is that this is not just turnover for turnovers sake. Atlanta is pairing those hires with stability at the top, as Onsi Saleh and Snyder both landed contract extensions and Saleh was elevated to President of Basketball Operations. The new setup gives Snyder a refreshed group around him, and it also suggests the Hawks are trying to lock in a clearer direction after a busy stretch of internal change. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Camp Will Decide Whether This New Roster Can Keep Up
Training camp is where the Hawks will start sorting out how this reworked roster fits together, and there is plenty to sort through. Atlanta has added draft picks Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesaar, while also bringing in or retaining veterans and newcomers like CJ McCollum, Jock Landale, Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Ryan Nembhard. With no blockbuster trade to lean on, the team is banking on internal growth and clean fits to keep pace in a crowded Eastern Conference.
The biggest questions are less about star power than about structure: who starts, how the backcourt is organized and which bigs claim the rotation minutes at power forward and center. That makes camp more than a tune-up for the Hawks - it is the first real test of whether a deeper, busier roster can turn all that new talent into something cohesive before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]