Danilo Gallinari’s ‘biggest what-if’ claim is absolutely ludicrous

Danilo Gallinari dealt with plenty of injuries throughout his 16-year NBA career, but the former New York Knicks forward recently made a bold claim that is difficult to defend.

During an interview with HoopsHype’s Cyro Asseo, Gallinari reflected on how his career could have unfolded differently had he remained with the Knicks instead of being included in the blockbuster trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to New York in February 2011.

Gallinari acknowledged the number of injuries that altered his career before suggesting he could be the greatest “what-if” in NBA history.

“No, I sometimes talk about it. I think about it just with friends and family when we sometimes talk about basketball and my career,” Gallinari said. “We think about it, or when I come back to New York and I talk to my fans or people in New York that still work for the Knicks, we talk about it, but there is a lot of, unfortunately, because of my injuries, there is a lot of what-if in my career.

“I don’t know, I’m probably the biggest what-if guy in the history of the game, maybe. But it’s part of an NBA career. It happened to me, unfortunately, more than any other athlete probably, as far as injuries, but I don’t think about it too much.”

Danilo Gallinari’s ‘biggest what-if’ claim doesn’t hold up

There is no question injuries affected Gallinari’s career. Calling himself potentially the biggest “what-if” in NBA history, however, is an enormous stretch.

League history is filled with players whose injuries altered careers that appeared destined for superstardom. Derrick Rose became the youngest MVP in NBA history before a torn ACL changed the trajectory of his career. Grant Hill emerged as one of the league’s brightest stars before ankle injuries derailed his prime, while Penny Hardaway’s rise alongside Shaquille O’Neal in Orlando was similarly interrupted by significant knee problems.

Gallinari was a productive NBA player, but he never reached an All-Star Game or earned an All-NBA selection. Suggesting his career represents a greater unanswered question than players who had already reached superstar levels before injuries struck makes the claim particularly difficult to support.

Gallinari’s Nuggets tenure provides a legitimate ‘what-if’