Danilo Gallinari will spend more time at the power forward spot for the Denver Nuggets as head coach Mike Malone revealed his plan of playing smaller and faster this coming season. With the development, will the team finally trade their long disgruntled starting four, Kenneth Faried, who is the topic of many trade rumors since the beginning of summer?
Apparently, the answer to that question is "no" as the 44-year-old bench tactician intends to slide the Manimal at the five whenever game situations would call for a small ball lineup.
An article by Scott Howard-Cooper at the NBA's official website revealed that the Nuggets want Gallinari to "get more time at power forward than any time in the North America portion of his career" starting this season.
Malone is reportedly impressed by the scoring and versatility of the 6-foot-10, 225-pound Italian and said that there is "not a lot that he can't do" offensively.
The former Italian League MVP is used to playing the power forward and center spots for his country's national team, banging and shoving other European big men during international tournaments, and Malone believes that he can also do the same and be as effective in the world's top professional basketball league.
Meanwhile, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports' Pro Basketball Talk noted that Faried will stay in Denver and will actually see more time at the center position still alongside Gallinari.
Malone is said to be more concerned about the defensive game of Faried, something which the four-year pro has struggled with because of his lack of size and girth at his natural position.
There were reports that Faried and Malone had been getting along well during training camp and so the initial rumors that the team will trade him before the February deadline might remain as just a rumor after all.