Impressive Gallinari Just Keeps Getting Better and Better

Danilo Gallinari is developing his overall game right before our eyes. He recovered nicely from a disappointing offensive stretch in February, he has asked to guard the opposing team’s best player for the remainder of the season and he even took responsibility for a recent loss.

That’s just the type of stuff Mike D’Antoni wants to see from the second-year forward, who the coach often refers to as one of the cornerstones of the franchise alongside Wilson Chandler.

“This is the first year that he has really played all these games and you can see him rebounding from the little dip he had a couple months ago,” D’Antoni told MSG before the Knicks’ loss in Portland on Wednesday. “And I’m excited about what he can become.”

That “little dip” would be the wall most rookies hit around the All-Star break. Gallinari was limited to just 28 games during his rookie season due to a nagging back injury, but has played in 73 of the Knicks’ 74 game this season, averaging 14.3 points on 38.1 percent shooting from three-point range entering Friday night’s road matchup against the Golden State Warriors.

Despite his impressive offensive numbers, Gallinari took the blame for the Knicks’ defeat in Utah on Monday after shooting 3-for-10 from the field, although he probably didn’t need to. He showed signs of maturity by focusing on defense while his shot wasn’t falling, helping turn the game around by slowing down Deron Williams following an unbelievable first quarter from the Jazz’s All-Star point guard.

“He wants to win and you could see that,” D’Antoni said. “I’m just really pleased with the way he’s played defense and everything. Like I told him, I played with his dad and he didn’t make a shot in eight years, so I’m kind of used to Gallinari not making shots. So I’m OK with it.

“But it’s good he cares. He’ll make shots. I’m not worried about that part of his game. He’ll get that. But what’s really good is he takes the challenge of guarding the best guy. He changes the game around.”

Much has been made of Gallinari’s request to defend the opposing team’s best player over the final stretch of the season. As a result, he has gained valuable experience by matching up against the likes of Denver forward Carmelo Anthony, Phoenix point guard Steve Nash, Utah’s Williams and most recently Portland’s Brandon Roy.

“He’s 21 years old and he’s taking a big responsibility,” D’Antoni said. “Probably the most important thing is, can he play defense? Can he do that? And that’s what he’s showing he can do. The rest of the stuff he’s going to do it. I have no doubt his offensive game is going to be really good as we go forward.”

Gallinari will have to continue to play a big role for the Knicks in their final eight games as the team deals with injuries to two key players. Reserve forward Al Harrington missed the second half of the Knicks’ previous game and Chandler will miss the remainder of the season with a left groin injury, the team announced.

“We’ll see how Al is. He turned his ankle and I don’t know how quickly (he will return),” D’Antoni said immediately after the 118-90 defeat against the Blazers. “Our bigs are a little bit depleted right now but we’ll just have to fight.”

D’Antoni won’t have to worry about lack of fight from Gallinari. That’s for sure.