Harry Giles Could be Brooklyn Nets Steal of the 2017 NBA Draft

A high school career marred by injury preceded a freshmen season at Duke where he played sparingly. Nevertheless, Harry Giles declared for the 2017 NBA Draft, and he has superstar potential that the Brooklyn Nets could use.

19 year old Harry Lee Giles III out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the proverbial boom-or-bust draft prospect. The #1 recruit in ESPN’s 2016 Top 100 has drawn comparisons to Kevin Garnett and Chris Webber. At the same time, two ACL injuries in high school caused him to miss his sophomore and senior seasons. So he could also be the next Greg Oden.

Another knee scope in October delayed his Duke debut until Christmas, which pushed him further down the depth chart on a star studded Blue Devils roster. He finished the year averaging 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in just 11.5 minutes of play.

And yet, after his junior season at Wesleyan Christian Academy, Giles was touted as a future #1 overall draft pick. That year he led the Trojans to a 30-5 record and an appearance in the NCISAA state championship game. His averages were gaudy: 23.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks per game. He took his AAU team to the Nike Elite Youth Basketball league (EYBL) semifinals, averaging a double-double on the circuit.

His high school highlights paint a similar picture. One of a man among boys:

The cockiness, fluidity, and even dribbling ability for someone who is nearly 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan is uncanny. It’s easy to see the potential that had scouts drooling just two years ago. But at Duke, it was a different narrative.

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One of uncertainty and doubt. Comparisons being made to his previous self, which Giles understood:

"“I can’t even lie and say it’s not tough, but I can understand why people would say things about me or come at me,” Giles said. “For me not to have a good game and (have) looked like the way I did before, it’s like, what happened? He looks completely different. I can understand that.”"

The criticisms, along with the pressure of playing at a basketball powerhouse, began to affect his love for the game:

"“You’re feeling the team’s expectations and the expectations of yourself at the same time, trying to put them together,” Giles said. “I needed to start having fun with the game again. I had so much going on with getting hurt the first time, and then getting hurt again. You get scared sometimes. I put so much into it, you get nervous like, should I do it again? To have this taken away again? I started letting it drain me.”"

Giles knew that he also needed to overcome his fear. Get back to the basics: taking contact, blocks dunks, and drives. He came to accept his role as a bench player at Duke, and focused on finishing the season healthy, which he did.

Draft Express’ latest mock has Giles going to the Lakers at #28. He could go earlier than that. On the other hand, the risks could cause many NBA teams to take him off their draft boards completely. The Brooklyn Nets should not be one of those teams.

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Limited draft assets mean that Sean Marks should look to take home run swings with the picks he does have. Harry Giles could be a grand slam.

In Brook Lopez and Caris Levert, the Nets have a precedent of talented players who persevered through multiple lower body injuries. They can provide mentor-ship for a prospect who, if he puts it all together, has a chance to be a star.

The objective for any rebuilding team should be to accumulate as much young, high ceiling talent as possible. For the Brooklyn Nets, this looks like a risk worth taking.