NEW YORK (AP) - Knicks rookie Danilo Gallinari has left the team to meet with specialists in Italy and is considering surgery on his ailing back.
Gallinari has been troubled by the back since last summer and met with a fourth surgeon Tuesday in New York. The Knicks allowed him to return home for further opinions and expect him back by Monday."He does not want to hurt the team, he does not want to play bad and he wants to have a great future with the Knicks, so we're all on the same page," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Now it's just figuring out what's the best thing to do for him. And we thought right now, this is the best thing to do."
The No. 6 pick in the draft missed most of the first 2 1/2 months of the season, but had a couple of strong efforts off the bench earlier this month. However, the Knicks said Gallinari, "feels his back is only 60-70 percent and thinks he has reached a plateau in his recovery."
Gallinari has averaged 6.1 points in 28 games, shooting 44 percent from 3-point range, and had shown signs of becoming a valuable reserve as the Knicks chase a playoff spot.
"We can't risk him," D'Antoni said. "We can't make a misstep with him. He is going to be a very, very good player and we're going to take care of him."
