Sacramento Kings: 3 Reasons Why Harry Giles Is The Next Bogdanovic
By Rafe Wong
Here are my reasons why Sacramento Kings’ Harry Giles will have a similar rookie season to Bogdan Bogdanovic.
There are many reasons for the Sacramento Kings and their fans to be excited about the upcoming season. One of these reasons is because Harry Giles is finally healthy and will be available to play for the purple and white.
Due to his potential, Giles is considered a quality candidate out of the Kings’ youngsters to become the star of the franchise. Although that could happen down the road, there is no way that will happen this upcoming year.
In my opinion, I view Giles having a rookie campaign similar to the one that Bogdan Bogdanovic displayed last season. And here are my reasons why.
Jack of All Trades
One of the many reasons why the Kings are high on Giles is his versatility. For a guy that stands at 6’11”, he sure is skilled in many aspects of the game.
Not only can Giles make shots in the post, but he also has a decent mid-range jumper as well. And when Giles is not looking to score, he is a wizard passing the ball and can move well without the ball too. Even on the defensive side, Giles is solid as he uses his instincts and physicality to give his opponents havoc when trying to score.
Like Giles, Bogdanovic possesses these same qualities as well. They may not be elite in a certain aspect of the game, but both have shown that they can be an asset for the Kings in multiple ways.
Pre-season Hype
Going back to high school, Giles was considered one of the top prospects in his class and a player that many projected to have a great NBA career. Unfortunately, knee injuries have hindered Giles’ development in the past years which has resulted in his stock to drop dramatically.
But now that Giles is healthy, the hype is back on for the Kings’ rookie. A type of hype that Bogdanovic had last summer.
Prior to his arrival to Sacramento, Bogdan was considered a top Euroleague prospect due to his dominance with Fenerbahce and the Serbian national team. Because of Bogdan’s stardom from overseas, many in the Kings community were counting down the days until he would finally arrive in California’s capital.
Bogdan so far has lived up to the hype. Will Giles be able to as well?
Talent With a Brain
Another trait that Giles and Bogdanovic share is their on-the-court awareness. Last season, Bogdan was arguably the smartest player on the roster due to him making smart plays constantly in every appearance he made.
Although it is a small sample size, Giles has shown he is a smart player as well during his time in summer league. Due to Harry making the right decisions with the ball and directing his teammates on both ends of the court, it should give Kings fans hope that Harry has a good basketball IQ. A trait that ALL players on the Kings should have once the team’s rebuild succeeds.
Final Thoughts
Although I think Giles has a higher ceiling compared to Bogdanovic, I do think Harry will have a similar rookie campaign compared to his Serbian teammate.
In my opinion, it will take time for Giles to eventually reach his potential due to adapting to the NBA competition. But with that said, he will still have a solid season with Sacramento as he is a multi-skilled player who has good on-the-court instincts. Just like his teammate, Bogdan.
Do not expect Harry’s number to blow you away, but rather his actions on the court.
Kings fans. What are your thoughts on my comparison between Harry Giles and Bogdan Bogdanovic? To express your opinions on the topic, feel free to comment on our website, Facebook page, or Twitter account.