Even though the Sacramento Kings will not see Harry Giles for the rest of the season, does it really matter?
Two games left on the regular-season schedule is not enough time to get Harry Giles back on the court, therefore, the Kings had no choice but to call the season over for him.
Just as Giles and Marvin Bagley III were starting to show us how good the Kings’ future frontline could be, it will be interesting to see if the duo continues to showcase their talents during this year’s NBA Summer League. In my opinion, Giles will definitely be there.
Opportunities For The Team’s Other Bigs
With Giles now scratched for the rest of the year, the chances of the Kings getting to 41 wins just got harder. But with that said, this does give more opportunities for guys like Bagley and Kosta Koufos to shine.
I have had very few complaints about Dave Joerger this year, one of them being his lack of utilizing Koufos in his rotation to shut the paint. Too many times throughout the season, opponents have gotten to the basket at will. Does anyone else remember the days when you stick a player in just to foul them? To send a message, when a guy comes driving to the paint, you make sure they earn it at the line.
Maybe I might be old school, but this is how I believe it works.
Will Marvin Bagley Be In Summer League?
Like I mentioned above, I believe Giles will be part of the Kings’ Summer League team this July. But will Bagley be part of the roster as well? It is too early for the coaching staff to announce if Bagley will play this summer. My guess is that he will be.
This would make for the Kings to be a good team this summer as the Giles-Bagley pair should dominate their opponents. It should be fun to watch as the chemistry between them keeps getting better.
Who Else Ioins The Summer League Party?
Players like Troy Williams and Caleb Swanigan should be on the Summer League roster too. After receiving playing time early in the season, Williams dropped off the radar as he passed the eye test as being someone who the Kings should develop. He contributed 5.7 points and 3.1 rebounds a game while recording a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 11.18.
Swanigan is another guy the Kings should be focusing on this summer. I believe the Kings gave away a better player in Skal Labissiere for him, but Swanigan might be a better fit for the Kings if he is able to reach his potential.
Final Thoughts.
The Kings did not officially declare Giles in for summer league, or anyone else for that matter. But I still think he will be there once July comes along.
It would be alarming not to see Giles and Bagley play over the summer. The young duo needs all the playing time together that they can acquire. Delaying this till next Fall serves no purpose for anyone. Next season the Kings must continue to make strides in the rebuild. No excuse will do. If not, people will start to lose their jobs, and it will not be just the players either.