Analyst hoping for Willis Reed moment from injured Boston Celtics forward
Besides their head coach being suspended for the next season and likely banned from the NBA when it is all said and done, the next biggest issue the Boston Celtics have faced during the 2022 offseason has been the loss of Danilo Gallinari.
Signed with the taxpayer’s MLE on the first day of free agency, Gallinari was tabbed to be a second-unit shot creator who could play some small-ball center and space the floor for Boston’s bench in 2022-23.
That all went up in smoke in early September when the Italian combo forward tore his ACL in FIBA competition in preparation for EuroBasket 2022. In his stead, Sam Hauser has risen to the forefront for the Cs off the bench, shooting 12/18 from the 3-point line during the preseason.
Gallinari, while speaking to the press on October 11, said that he’s taking it day-by-day and not really thinking about what’s going to happen in the future. He didn’t lean either way, but BSS’ Dan Greenberg took his lack of ruling out returning in 2022-23 and imagined an all-time postseason moment for the injured Boston Celtics forward — while also maintaining that it’s unlikely we see Gallinari in green at all:
My brain is going to say no shot
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) October 11, 2022
My heart is going to say maybe there's a Willis Reed moment during the playoffs https://t.co/DWzBgR0Bb4
The Boston Celtics could have a homegrown hero instead
From the looks of it, the Boston Celtics are expected to rely on the same key core members that got them to the NBA Finals this past June this upcoming campaign. Robert Williams III will have to wait until midseason to contribute, but the league’s best starting five, plus Derrick White and new addition Malcolm Brogdon, will be responsible for the majority of the offense.
While Willis Reed was an All-NBA First Teamer, he was the last person one would have expected to contribute in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. The person who could step into that role for the Cs in a potential Banner 18 season would likely be Grant Williams, Payton Pritchard, or Sam Hauser by way of a shooting performance for the ages. All three were drafted or signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cs.