Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers know Danilo Gallinari well. This is why it’s highly likely that Coach Doc played a pivotal role in the front office’s decision to bring in the veteran via free agency on Thursday.
Gallinari is now set to reunite with his former coach, who he played under for two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Doc Rivers’ Initial Reaction to Milwaukee Bucks’ Danilo Gallinari Signing
The Bucks have not officially signed Gallinari yet. According to reports, they are still finalizing a deal with the 35-year-old, who will now join Milwaukee as the 15th player on their roster.
As such, Coach Doc couldn’t really speak on the currently unofficial signing ahead of the Bucks’ game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night. Rivers, however, was able to say that “shooting and size, it matters. And veteran leadership. A guy that knows how to play the game. Great passer. Someone like that” could help the squad (h/t Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).
Gallinari had arguably the best stint of his career in LA playing under Rivers. In two seasons, the sharpshooting wing averaged a career-best 18.7 points on 44.8 percent shooting, to go along with 5.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Gallo also knocked down 2.2 triples per contest on a highly-efficient 40.8-percent clip.
The Bucks aren’t going to get that iteration of the 35-year-old, who missed all of last season due to an ACL injury. However, given Gallinari’s experience playing in Doc Rivers’ system, it’s very much possible that he finds a significant role for himself on the Bucks for the remainder of the campaign.
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