What to Make of Harry Giles.
Harry Giles:
PF | 6' 11 | 20 | Duke
Harry Giles is one of the more polarizing prospects in the 2017 NBA Draft. This is the main thing you need to know about Giles: injuries have cost him the chance to be the number one pick in the NBA Draft.
He exploded onto the scene as a rim-running monster, with surprising grace and agility in the open floor. Giles has suffered an ACL tear in both knees, not to mention additional MCL and meniscus injuries. Scouts are very worried that he may never regain the explosiveness that defined so much of his game early on. He is only 19 years old, so there is still time for him to recover his former ability.
In his lone year at Duke, he only played 11.5 minutes per game over 26 contests. Since he played such a limited role, it is unfair to judge him solely based off his numbers. But if you look at his per 40 minutes stats, you get a much better picture of what his NBA role would look like. Per 4o minutes, Giles averaged 13.6 points and 13.3 rebounds on 57 percent shooting. He is still unsure of himself on the court. A lot of the quickness that made him a great defender has disappeared, but with proper rehab Giles could be the still be the steal of the draft.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Harry Giles has a 7’3’ wingspan. This is his primary physical trait that has scouts drooling. He lacked mobility for most of last season, but he used his length to finish with ease around the rim. He is always a threat when running towards the front of the rim, and that will make him very effective in the pick-and-roll on day one of his NBA career.
Those injuries also didn’t take away his shooting ability. Giles has a compact and clean motion, that allows him to reasonably hit mid-range jumpers as long as he has a little space. He doesn’t feast on open jumpers, but the fact that he can mix it up helps him stay fresh on offense.
His biggest weakness is clearly conditioning. He only played 300 minutes on the season, and that won’t cut it in the NBA. Staying on the court should be his primary concern. He played well despite the small sample size, but he seemed to be doing just enough to be a first-round pick, rather than doing all he could to work his way back into shape. Of course I don’t know this, but if you watch any of Giles’ games from Duke, you notice him get beat off the dribble by guards at a rate that was unheard of earlier in his career. It definitely appeared that he came back too soon from injury. While he averaged 2.3 blocks per 40 minutes, it is hard to imagine him holding his own on defense in his current physical state. Relying on your length and athleticism to defend at the NCAA level is sustainable. At the NBA level? Not so much. If he can’t improve the speed at which he slides in his defensive stance, he will be nothing more than an “energy guy” in the league.
Why would the Bulls take him?:
The Bulls are in the dreaded “no man’s land” in the NBA hierarchy. They are good enough to squeak into the playoffs, but not bad enough to get high draft picks. With that being said, the Bulls have a history of finding talent late in the first round. Chicago should select Giles if he is there at #16 because he is possibly the best player in the draft, and it is that simple.
When you have a chance to get lottery-level talent outside of the lottery, you take it. He is the spitting image of the modern big man. Capable of handling the ball, scoring, rebounding, and defending at elite levels. He is also an “advanced stats darling”, nearly leading Duke in offensive (115.1 points per 100 possessions) and defensive rating (gives up just 96.6 points per 100 possessions) despite all his shortcomings. Unfortunately, if you want to see how he looks doing all those things, you need to watch his high school highlights. Giles can excel as a “Small-ball” center, and he will have surely have a better rehab being surrounded by NBA medical staffs. If the Bulls are looking for a developmental prospect who could easily become the best big on the roster — and maybe one day the league — look no further than Harry Giles.
