Marquee Boston Celtics free agent signing hopeful for postseason return
The marquee signing of the 2022 Boston Celtics offseason, Danilo Gallinari, is hoping to return to the team by the postseason — saying as much during a March 23 media session. Gallinari tore his ACL in August during FIBA play and has missed the entire 2022-23 season up to this point.
The Italian forward has the playoffs circled on his mental calendar for when he’d like to return to the floor. “Playoffs is still in my head,” Gallinari said. “That’s something that I’m looking forward to. I don’t know if it’s going to happen or not, but from a motivational standpoint, that’s always something that motivates me more. I don’t know if it’s going to happen or not.”
Gallinari was realistic about the possibility that isn’t realistic, though. “Of course, you will have to go through one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three, play five-of-five, so a lot of steps that need to be done before you play an actual game, and maybe even after all those steps, you’re not ready for a playoff game, because when you don’t play the whole season, then be ready to play a playoff game, it’s not easy for anybody, not just body-wise, but mentally,” he said.
Analyst: ‘Slim chance’ Danilo Gallinari returns for the Boston Celtics in 2022-23
MassLive’s Brian Robb has already declared that he feels there’s a slim chance Gallinari returns during the 2022-23 season, saying as much during his December 23 Celtics Mailbag in an answer to a reader asking about the “Rooster.”
“I can’t put a chance of a return for a playoff run above 2-3 percent,” Robb wrote. “Lots of NBA players who tore their ACL in a prior postseason sat out the next full season entirely so it would be a huge ask for Gallinari to beat that timetable and come back in the midst of a playoff run where everyone physically needs to be at their best to hang on the floor.”
Gallinari brought doubt into his own answer about his postseason status, so the Houdini is leaning towards seeing the 34-year-old debuting in a Boston Celtics uniform in 2023-24 — if he ever dons Celtics green at all.