NBA Draft 2017 Prospect Watch: Harry Giles
By Adam McGee
Strengths
Giles is a physical specimen with the kind of freak size and athleticism that doesn’t come along very often.
At 6’11” tall with a 7’3″ wingspan and 9’1″ standing reach, Giles has many of the physical hallmarks that teams have long looked for in big men, yet he also possesses a fluidity and ease of movement that make him an intriguing mix of modern and old school frontcourt fundamentals.
Weighing in at 222lbs, Giles is already no slouch but still possesses room to fill out into a frame that looks built for power.
Through clips of his high school days and glimpses of potential in an otherwise disappointing season at Duke, Giles has showcased a tenacious nose for rebounds and solid defensive fundamentals.
The 19-year-old knows how to put a body on an opponent, and shows no hesitation in defending opponents of any size one-on-one, but looking particularly impressive for a man of his stature when drawn away from the basket on smaller, quicker opponents.
On the offensive end, Giles lacks any real semblance of a reliable jump shot, but demonstrates some intriguing touch working out of the post. At his most dangerous, Giles would be used as a constant rim-running threat who would cause matchup nightmares in the open court. Giles has always excelled when playing above the rim, but the question now is whether his body will allow that style to sustain.
Next: Weaknesses