Danilo Gallinari Back Surgery?
March 18, 2009 by Stephen Kersey
Filed under NBA News
Danilo Gallinari of the New York Knicks has been dealing with a back injury since shortly after he was selected in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft. Though he played in the first two games of the regular season, Gallinari then missed a couple of months to rest the back injury.
Danilo Gallinari - Image: Newscom
In the middle of January, Gallinari returned to the court and was actually quite impressive. Showing a wide array of skills, Gallinari even caught the eye of many fantasy basketball owners. He seemed a perfect fit for Mike D’Antoni’s run-and-gun offense.
But now Gallinari’s back is hurting him once again. The Knicks allowed him to fly to Italy to get a second opinion. There is even talk of him requiring back surgery.
While any type of surgery will force him to miss the rest of the season, he may be out for the season even if he doesn’t go under the knife. The Knicks will play it safe with the 20-year-old rookie, so don’t expect to see any more of him this season. If you have him in a redraft fantasy basketball league, it’s safe to drop him.
In dynasty leagues, Gallinari still has a decent amount of upside. However, his back problems will hamper his stock until he proves he will be able to fully recover.
