All the optimism surrounding Danilo Gallinari’s status for the 2022-23 season was crushed this Friday.
Gallinari suffered an injury last Saturday while playing for Italy in a FIBA World Cup qualifier. At first, it was announced that he suffered a torn meniscus.
After receiving further evaluation, Gallinari was diagnosed with a torn ACL. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium was first to report this unfortunate news.
This injury could force Gallinari to miss his first season with the Boston Celtics. An ACL recovery timeline can range anywhere from six months to an entire year.
Gallinari, 34, was traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the San Antonio Spurs earlier this offseason. He was then waived by the Spurs.
Once Gallinari became a free agent, he signed a two-year deal with the Celtics.
The Celtics signed Gallinari with the hope that he’d give their offense a boost. Last season, Gallinari averaged 11.7 points per game on 38.1 percent shooting from downtown.
Gallinari’s injury will undoubtedly impact Boston’s depth. He was expected to be one of Ime Udoka’s top options off the bench.