(Big C) With about two months to go for the start of the NBA season, one of the Knicks best players is looking forward to the challenge. Who am I talking about? I am talking about none other than Danilo Gallinari. This season Danilo Gallinari will have a lot to prove.

The good news is Danilo Gallinari already knows it. Last season we saw a glimpse of the player the Knicks drafted. We saw signs of a player that is ready to stand as a force to be reckoned with. We already know that Danilo is one of the best shooters in the game. For Danilo Gallinari, hitting a 3 point shot is like hitting midrange shots for many other players in the league. You know Gallo's shots are nothing but net.

Last season we saw Danilo challenge some of the league's best players and he came out strong. When Kevin Garnett started talking smack to Danilo Gallinari what did Danilo Gallinari do? He started talking trash right back to Kevin Garnett and delivered 31 points to show who the real big ticket on Broadway is. And let's not forget Gallo’s 28 points on Carmelo to help the Knicks win over the Denver Nuggets.

Most players back down mentally from a challenge or let their emotions run wild. However, that is not Danilo Gallinari. For some reason when Gallo gets mad he starts playing at the top of his game. He gets pumped like David Banner gets mad. His game then transforms into something incredible.

Besides Danilo shooting the 3 ball, we saw him drive to the lane to either get fouled or make the nice scoop layup. On the defensive end of the court he played solid defense on his man and even asked Mike D’Antoni to let him guard the best opposing players. In this off-season it has been noted that Gallinari has gained a few pounds but has also toned up. This will be a key to help Danilo pull more rebounds and fight for position when he uses his post game.

Right now in the starting lineup besides Amar’e, who does not postup too often, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gaillinari will have a chance to show their postup ability. At 6’10 Danilo Gallinari's height and added strength will be a huge matchup problem for small forwards in the league. With Danilo Gallinari's added strength and weight we might see Danilo Gaillinari play the power forward position at times with Amar’e playing the center role to close out games.

This season what I would like to see more from Danilo Gallinari is him driving to the hole. Besides driving, for a guy that shoots the 3 point shot with ease, he need to shoot free throws at a higher percentage. If Danilo Gallinari can start to mix it up more with driving to the lane and raising his free throw percentage. That alone will improve his game tremendously. It’s also a must that Danilo Gallinari use his midrange game. Players often fall in love with the 3 point shot and forget about using more of the midrange game.

As far as defense, I love Danilo’s defensive intensity so he just needs to maintain that.

At the end of the day I expect Danilo Galinari to elevate his game if he wants to be considered one of the league's best players.

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