The Milwaukee Bucks officially signed veteran forward Danilo Gallinari on Wednesday night. Raring to get going with his new squad, the 35-year-old Italian sharpshooter joined the team’s practice on Thursday, saying he was excited to fit right into what the Bucks are trying to achieve this season.
Gallinari, who has been in the league for 13 years now, played for Washington and Detroit earlier this season before the Pistons bought him out, paving the way for him to join a legit title contender in the Bucks.
Ideal fit
A 6-foot-10 forward who shoots 38 percent from long range for his career, Gallinari is an ideal addition to the Bucks’ depth. Gallinari expressed excitement about playing with the Bucks’ cast and the role he could have moving forward.
“The way that I play, I’m a very versatile type of player, so I can play in any system, with any player, so looking at the bigs that we got, I think that I fit. That was one of the reasons why I chose this team is because I think that I can fit in very well. Very excited,” Gallinari said.
“I’ve worked with a lot of people that are working in this franchise and I believe in the stuff that we can do with this team. Of course, after talking with Doc – I worked with Doc for two years in L.A., so I know him very well – so I really believe in this group.”
Gallinari played and thrived under Doc Rivers during their time with the Los Angeles Clippers. He played 89 games for Doc, playing arguably the best basketball of his career, averaging 18.7 points and shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.
Suffered injuries
Those high-scoring days, though, appear to be behind Gallinari, as he has battled numerous serious injuries, including tearing his left ACL twice. In Milwaukee, Rivers shared Danilo would most likely be tasked to anchor the reserves, playing alongside prolific sixth man Bobby Portis. For his part, Gallo said he’s ready to do whatever it takes to help Milwaukee win games.
“I don’t care about playing every night, not playing one night, play the other night; I’m here to help. So whatever needs to be done I’m here to do and help. I’m not looking for guaranteed minutes or this kind of stuff. I’m just here to help.”
More must-reads: