A Royal Prospect: Harry Giles
A Royal Pain gives its analysis on NBA prospect Harry Giles and whether he would be a great addition to the Sacramento Kings.
A Royal Pain continues its draft coverage with a player that came into the season as a consensus 2016 top-three recruit (ESPN had him #1). Duke’s Harry Giles has the competitiveness, agility, and length that teams look for in modern big men and was slotted at #2 in Chad Ford’s initial 2016-17 Big Board.
This was all in spite of Giles accumulating multiple serious knee injuries since 2013. Mock drafts have slotted the 19-year old from the end of the lottery to the backend of the first round. It will come down to what team is willing to risk on the progression of his knees, and if healthy, would be of great value at his slot.
Giles’ time at Duke makes him even more difficult to figure out. He rarely saw the floor after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee in October of 2016. To see why scouts were raving about his potential, you must look at his high school highlights when he was healthy.
Statistics: 3.9 PPG/57.7 eFG%/ 3.8 RPG/ 0.7 BLK/0.3 STL/11.5 MPG or 13.6/57.7 eFG%/13.3/2.3/1.2 per 40 minutes (via Basketball Reference)
Measurements: 6’10 ½” with shoes/232 lbs. /7’3 ¼” wingspan/9’1 ½” standing reach/27” no step vert/32.” Max vert (via Draft Express)
Strengths:
With elite measurements and an athletic frame, Giles will make an impact on the defensive side of the ball without regaining his full athleticism. His lateral movement is still quick enough to switch on the perimeter to handle guards which is vital in today’s game. Giles also can alter shots by utilizing his reach, however, he needs to learn how to time his blocks better.
He uses his length and impressive hand strength to be a productive rebounder. Giles hustles in transition in search of an easy bucket and gets to the rim in a hurry with his length. This makes him a threat for put-backs and is a constant lob threat roaming around the rim as he has a nice touch with either hand in the paint. His jumper was average before his latest surgery but should develop as his knee strengthens.
Weaknesses:
The severity and frequency of his knee surgeries are alarming. It all started in 2013 when he tore his left ACL, MCL, and meniscus. He proceeded to tear his right ACL in 2015 before undergoing the procedure on his left knee last October. This will caution teams from selecting Giles, especially when his ceiling is predicated so much on his athleticism. Physicals during the draft process will determine where he goes on draft night.
Besides the injury concerns, Giles needs to refine his offensive game. His athleticism may never return, so developing proper footwork and shooting form (free throws in particular) will help him find playing time. Giles was asked to post-up at Duke and was used out of position, but will be dangerous rolling to the rim after screening. Defensively, he needs to improve his timing on block attempts and stay out of foul trouble.
Fit:
The Kings don’t have a place for Giles at the moment. His skill set is similar to both Willie Cauley-Stein and Skal Labissiere with those two not having any significant knee concerns. He would be a great energy player to bring off the bench and his defense would always be valuable. But the Kings don’t need to reach for him with either of their two first-round picks, especially with there being options available to address their roster needs.
It’s a shame he couldn’t play this season when he had a real chance of going number one prior to the collegiate season, mainly with Boston picking first. The Celtics need a player to control the boards and help Al Horford with interior defense. Giles at full health would be the ideal pick, but there’s no way a team would risk the top pick on him now.
Stay tuned for more NBA Draft coverage.