Harry Giles Assessment: Strengths and Weaknesses

The Harry Giles saga with the Sacramento Kings might not be lasting much longer, but we take a look at Giles’ strengths and weaknesses.

The past few months for Sacramento Kings’ current starting center Harry Giles have been quite a roller coaster. He was out for the entirety of NBA Summer League and the preseason, and missed the first 8 games once the regular season began. Not only was he battling an injury, but his option was declined on October 31st, meaning that he is now scheduled to become a free agent this summer.

But Giles has received an opportunity lately with all of the injuries that the Kings are battling. He has received regular minutes in each of Sacramento’s last eight games after getting DNPs in the previous 15. He has started the last handful of games in the absence of Richaun Holmes.

Giles has played in only 15 games this season, and averages just 5 points and 2.9 rebounds in just 11 minutes per game. While his numbers have noticeably dipped since last season, it is important to look beyond the numbers when gauging Giles’ impact on the court.

The Strengths

Passing Ability

Giles’ passing ability is one of his greatest attributes. He often receives the ball near the top of the key and is able to thread passing lanes like a point guard. This trait often receives comparisons to a former Sacramento Kings’ frontcourt member who was one of the better passing big men of his and all-time, Chris Webber.

Defensive Presence

Giles has shown he can help out tremendously on defense, altering shots, rebounding, and using his length to get deflections and steals. This is one way he impacts the game despite not showing on the stat sheet. One example of this is in the game against the Warriors, when Giles created a deflection off of Glen Robinson III’s pass and ended up with a steal. He has the ability to get on both the defensive and offensive glass for the Kings, and often provides his team with second-chance opportunities.

Scoring

Lastly, Giles has the ability to score on the inside. He has crafty ways of finishing on all of baby hooks, tip-ins, and dunks. He can occasionally score off the 15-foot mid-range shot which has  Grant Napear, as well as fans, wondering why doesn’t he shoot more of them. The Bucks and Nuggets games are great examples of what Giles can be if his offense is clicking.

Weaknesses

Mental Mistakes

Giles tends to make crucial mental mistakes, which can be attributed to his lack of NBA experience, having played in a total of just 72 games over two seasons. Some of the mental mistakes include committing moving screens as well as rushing shots and passes. For example, in the Kings last game against the Warriors, Giles tried to thread the needle to Buddy Hield, which resulted in one of his four turnovers that game.

Fouling

Giles has a tendency to rack up the fouls, and often unnecessarily. He has improved on this from game-to-game and his average is now around 2.5 per. Although this seems low, remember that he is averaging less than 12 minutes per contest. In the games against the Nuggets and Grizzlies, he fouled a total of 10 times in 28 minutes.

Overall Thoughts

Giles is still a project but has a high ceiling. The Kings should not give up on him just yet as he is just 21 years old. He also now has the chance to showcase his skills with all the injuries.

Look for Harry Giles to play extended minutes in the next 2-3 weeks.