Getty Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics drives against Danilo Gallinari #8 of the Atlanta Hawks.
For the first time since it had been confirmed that he tore his ACL, Danilo Gallinari spoke to the media on October 11. The Boston Celtics‘ prized free agent addition is expected to miss the entire season following the tear. However, when reporters asked him about a possible return, Gallinari did not rule it out.
“I’m just taking (rehab) day-by-day,” Gallinari told reporters. “That’s the best way to approach a rehab and approach an injury like this, to take it day-by-day and not really think about what’s going to happen in the future. So that’s the approach that I have.”
When Shams Charania reported on September 2 that Gallinari had torn his ACL, he added that Gallinari’s timeframe for recovery ranged from six to 12 months.
Gallinari tore the same ACL nearly a decade ago when he played for the Denver Nuggets, which caused him to miss the 2013 playoffs as well as the entire 2013-14 season. Because Gallinari has been through this before, he knows what’s up ahead for him as he takes the long road to recovery.
“The good and the bad thing is that I’ve been through this already, so I know what to expect,” Gallinari said. “But it’s always tough, especially when you approach a situation like this, coming to play for the Celtics, ready to help the team winning. It’s tough, but nothing I can do about it. We’re here, and now we gotta focus on the rehab.”
Gallinari’s Plans for This Season
Whether Gallinari will be out for the entire season or not, he will spend the majority of the season out while rehabbing his injured knee. As he makes his recovery, Gallinari revealed how he’ll be involved with the team going forward until he returns to the court.
“I want to stay close to the team so the more I can stay with the team in Boston and when they need me to go to travel with the team, I definitely want to stay close to the team.”
Gallinari then answered in the affirmative when asked if he’ll be going to the games.
Since tearing his ACL again, Gallinari has been posting videos of his rehab, including his most recent one on October 11, which showed him walking in a pool. Despite Gallinari suffering such an unfortunate injury, he’s shown he has a sense of humor about his rehab.
Is it true or not? 🤣
@celtics
Blake Griffin Signing Marks Reunion With Gallinari
When the Celtics signed Blake Griffin on September 30, it actually marked the second time that he and Gallinari have been teammates. The two of them were teammates for the 2017-18 season after Gallinari signed with the Los Angeles Clippers that offseason.
However, the two of them did not play many games together with the Clippers because Gallinari was absent throughout most of the season due to an injury. Griffin was also traded to the Detroit Pistons mid-season. The two of them had played a total of nine games together when they were teammates, according to StatMuse.
In one of those nine games, Griffin hit a buzzer-beater to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers.
Now the two of them are teammates again from a technical standpoint. Given that Gallinari will spend the majority of the season recovering from a torn ACL, it remains to be seen if they’ll ever play a game together as Celtics.