Danilo Gallinari shares the timeline of his return to the court / News - Basketnews.com

Danilo Gallinari says he lives with a mindset that he will play in the NBA Playoffs this season. He looks at practicing fully with the team as the main goal now that would propel him to return to the main stage.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Danilo Gallinari tore the ACL of his left knee during the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers game against Georgia on August 27th and has been sidelined ever since.

Danilo Gallinari

Team:Boston CelticsPosition:PF, SFAge:34Height:208 cmWeight:102 kgBirth place:Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, ItalyProfileNewsStatistics

The Italian forward was forced to miss the EuroBasket 2022, he hasn't played a single minute in the NBA this season as well.

Gallinari has been rehabbing for several months now. He has now shared an update on his status in the 2022-23 NBA season.

"My mindset is that I want to play and that I'm going to play at the end of the season," Gallinari told Adam Himmelsbach from The Boston Globe. "I want to play in the playoffs. So that's the mindset that helps me get better every day and motivates me even more."

"After every big injury in the rehab process, the toughest part is the mental part," the played explained. "The body will react and the body will get better, and you get stronger than before. But the mental part is the toughest one, especially at the beginning, when you do the same thing over and over every day, reps all day, it's tough. But you've got to get through it, so now we're here."

ACL tears typically take up to a year to fully heal. With Gallinari's injury occurring in late August, he would be able to suit up for the Boston Celtics only if the team made a deep playoff run.

Gallinari is still a long way away from practicing fully with the team, a goal he has in his mind for the entire rehab process.

"I think we're far from that. It's not going to happen soon but doing more and more stuff on the court, more heavy stuff in the weight room, going from a jog into an actual fast run, these are the steps I'm looking forward to," Gallinari said.

"It's definitely not a lost season for me," he continued. "That's the mindset that helps me and pushes me to get better every day. If it happens, it's going to be great. If it doesn't, I'm looking forward to next season."

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