Image via WikipediaNever was this more evident than at the 2008 NBA Draft.
With the sixth pick in that season's draft—their first lottery pick since 2005 because of horrible trades—the Knicks selected Italian forward Danilo Gallinari.
Knick fans booed. They wanted Eric Gordon, they wanted Brook Lopez, they wanted anybody but "the Rooster."
They never gave the 6'10" sharpshooting Italian a chance. The Garden erupted with boos from the second he was drafted, even after he insisted in an interview right after being selected that he valued nothing but winning and hard work.
In his first season as a pro in 2008, Gallinari suffered from back injuries and only appeared in 28 games for limited time.
The next season, Gallinari was able to stay healthy as he averaged a very solid 15 points per game while shooting 38 percent from deep.
It was then that Knicks fans realized how talented this guy was.
They of course brought in their superstar in Amar'e Stoudemire, but they also added Raymond Felton, Roger Mason, Timofey Mozgov, Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike, and Ronny Turiaf.
So that raises the question, what makes Danilo Gallinari the most important man on the Knicks, let alone New York sports?
If Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, or Deron Williams are going to take their talents East, they're going to need to see something better than what the Knicks have right now.
Gallinari's development could be that something better.
If Danilo can turn into a go-to scorer (I'm talking 20 a game, and ability to score at will) and play halfway decent defense, a core of him and Amar'e should not only get the Knicks into the playoffs for the first time in half a decade, but it could also entice more stars to join forces with them on the suddenly cap friendly Knicks, in hopes of beating Miami Thrice.
How will Danilo Gallinari fare next season?
However, if Gallinari remains where he is now talent-wise, not only will the Knicks struggle to win 35 games, but the city that was once known as the "Mecca of Basketball" will continue to move closer towards being a basketball Siberia.
Yes, Gallinari is that important.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/445784-danilo-gallinari-the-most-important-man-in-new-york-sports
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