Nuggets' Gallinari is Italy's gift to Denver

Sure, the kid's got Dirklike talent. But he also has his father's toughness. His father, after all, was a self-proclaimed "effort player." Which means he had limited offensive talent, unlike his son, but would lead the league in scraped elbows and body bruises.

Last month, Gallinari missed some games because of an injury. When he returned, at Orlando, a reporter told Gallo he seemed to play fearless. Gallo glared when he heard the comment.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked, as if there is any other way to come back.

So often in the NBA, European players are labeled "soft." It's a label Nowitzki has fought, despite his constellation of all-star appearances. When Gallinari arrived in Denver from the Knicks as part of the trade package for Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets fans didn't know what to expect, but they had a notion he would fit that label.

"He's 10 times tougher than I thought he was," said Altitude broadcaster Scott

NBA coaches and scouts have taken notice of Gallo's growing game.

"Last year you thought he'd just be a good 3-point, spot-up shooter. But he's now added the dribble to his game. It keeps you off-balance," said Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks, the NBA's coach of the year in 2010. "The improvement he has made the last few years shows that he's a worker, cares about his game and wants to improve. I've been an assistant with Denver, I know their current assistant coaches, and those guys are good. All of them develop guys. They don't take days off."