Knicks need more consistent offense from Gallinari

GREENBURGH, N.Y. - There are nights when Danilo Gallinari looks like a superstar. He is aggressive, he is involved and, on the perimeter, he is almost unstoppable.

Then there are the other nights. Such as the one he had Sunday in the Knicks' 92-90 preseason win over Washington at the Garden. Gallinari went 0-for-7 from the field and scored one point in 22 minutes.

It might be going a little far to call Gallinari the A.J. Burnett of the Knicks' starting lineup, but it is fair to say that in a similar fashion, fans are never sure what kind of night they are going to get from the 22-year-old with sharpshooter skills.

Gallinari has the talent to be a consistent No. 2 scoring threat, a perfect complement to Mr. No. 1, Amar'e Stoudemire. The question is whether he has the maturity and wherewithal to raise his game to a high level on a consistent basis.

And his growth could have a lot to do with whether the Knicks can be a significantly better team this season.

"Gallinari has to make a jump this year," coach Mike D'Antoni said after practice at the MSG Training Center Monday. "Sunday was a step backward, but he had to go up."

D'Antoni did not single out Gallinari in a vacuum. The coach also needs Anthony Randolph and Wilson Chandler to step up to the next level. Yet Gallinari is the most important of the three because he has the potential to be such an offensive threat. And with the exception of a stellar game Saturday night against the Celtics in Hartford, Gallinari has not had an impressive preseason. In four games against NBA teams, he is shooting 28.2 percent.

"I have to play my game every game. That's the challenge for me," Gallinari said. "It's been up and down for many reasons. It's the preseason, but I can't be like that during the regular season."

Gallinari had his right forearm in ice during halftime against the Wizards, but he and D'Antoni said he is completely healthy. They also insist there is no merit to a published report on Eurosport, a European sports satellite and cable network, that the trade rumors involving Gallinari in a potential Carmelo Anthony deal are making him feel "not good."

"I've never been worried or upset about the trade," Gallinari said. "I've never received a call from my agent or team. I'm not worried at all about trades."

D'Antoni said he has talked with Gallinari about the subject, and he said the third-year player seems to understand that getting mentioned in trade rumors is "a part of playing in New York." D'Antoni also has talked with Gallinari about being more consistent, and he hopes Gallinari brings back his "A'' game Tuesday night against the Nets.

"Hopefully, he'll come in with more of a single-minded purpose," D'Antoni said. "But hey, he's 22 years old. And [being consistent] is one of the hardest things to learn in the league."