Harry Giles, OKC’s Style
The Sacramento Kings and Vlade Divac’s questionable judgment prove to be costly as Harry Giles will enter free agency after the Kings made a strange decision in declining his fourth-year player option. The 6-foot-10 North Carolina native was a dominant player in High School but his multiple knee injuries have put a limit on his overall potential.
ESPN’s Chad Ford mentioned that Giles was the best high school prospect since LeBron James. It’s hard to draw the comparisons now but this is ultimately what happens when players are battling constant injuries.
Prior to the shutdown, the former Duke Blue Devil appeared in 38 games and only started 17. He was averaging 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in 15 minutes per game while maintaining 56.0% from the field. He has a personality on the court that is reminiscent of a young Kevin Garnett.
With a loaded front court in Sacramento, Giles didn’t have the ability to reach his full potential. Luke Walton’s rotation stayed consistent with Marvin Bagley and Richaun Holmes taking up the bulk of the minutes during the 2019–2020 campaign.
During the NBA restart in Orlando the Kings suffered a multitude of injuries that allowed Giles to see more playing time. He was able to post a career high of 23 points and 8 rebounds during a seeding game against the Orlando Magic.
It is somewhat baffling that Divac declined his fourth year option since his salary would have been worth close to 4 million for the 2020–2021 season. Making him the second cheapest player on the roster.
This is the perfect “Presti Project” if Sam gets bored with his infinite draft picks he will need to occupy his time with something that could have an immediate upside.
We have already seen Harry Giles’ floor. It would be beneficial for him to join an organization that would be patient with him in his maturation process. OKC takes their time with player development and it is a cornerstone for the franchise.
With Adams on the way out this could be a chance for the young prospect to get some meaningful minutes in the frontcourt at either position. A lineup of Shai, Lu Dort, Poku, Bazely, and Giles would fit right into Mark Daigneault’s “Pace and Space” philosophy.
Player development will prove to be the focus of this team going forward and there isn’t a better fit for a guy that is this cheap and has this much upside playing in one of the smallest markets in the NBA.
Sam Presti has had projects in the past, but this could be far more beneficial for what OKC will need going through a rebuild. Giles is in the perfect age range at 22 years old and he is athletic and can shoot the ball.
This certainly wouldn’t be the flashiest free agent signing but it is exactly the right fit and the upside would surely pay dividends for a Thunder team that will be looking for a post presence in these next few years after moving on from fan favorite, Steven Adams.
Through the trials and tribulations of Harry Giles’ career one thing has been missing for him, and that is consistency. Oklahoma City is the perfect place for a player that needs structure, discipline, and stability.
Written by Brandon Dale, contributor to OKC UK, you can find me on twitter @MrOKCtober. Feel free to leave any comments and thoughts on this article and i hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts.
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