Scouting Report on New Duke Commit PF Harry Giles

Harry Giles is regarded as the number one recruit in the country by many publications. On November 7th, he pledged his services to Coach K and the Duke Blue Devils. This is a scouting report based on his play before his most recent torn ACL. Nobody knows if Giles will be himself after this injury although chances are he will make a full recovery the same way when he tore his ACL in his other knee in 2013.

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Strengths

Harry Giles is an athletic freak with a build that is similar to a young Kevin Garnett. He is 6’10 with a 7-3 wingspan and he could still conceivably become longer in the next couple of years. Everything that you associate with being a freak athlete Giles possesses. He is nimble, quick-twitch, agile, springy. Any adjective you can come up with generally fits. Not only does Giles have unique athletic abilities but he is ultra aggressive on the court. He is not afraid to embarrass somebody that does not belong on the same stage as himself.

The most exciting thing about Giles is not even his potential as an offensive star but it is his potential as a defensive super-star. The combo of his length, quickness and overall basketball IQ can put him in a class not many basketball players reach. Also, the way he rebounds the ball is something that will be underappreciated but is vital nonetheless. If it was not for his latest injury, he could walk on to Duke’s campus and average a double-double no problem.

As you can see Giles is a tremendous prospect but he is not perfect.

Weaknesses

He jumper needs to improve. In today’s game, there is more and more need for big men to develop a jumper of some sort, sometimes all the way out to the three-point line. Giles will most likely never reach that distance but his mechanics are good enough to where a jumper from the foul-line and in is very attainable. This extends to his free throw shooting where he is a career 59% shooter. That is not terrible for his age and position but it could be better. So developing a jumper is a must for the NBA game even if he is able to out-athlete players in high school and even college.

Becoming a better passer is also a must though this can be an easy skill to improve when he becomes a Blue Devil. See in high school Giles is asked to score and score he does. There is almost no need for him to pass and most of the time his team has no need for it. That is how skilled he is on offense. But passing out of double teams (which he will see a lot of) is important for not only his future success but also team success.

Finally, his injury history. It is something that one always has to be cautious of when Giles steps on the court. Will his knees hold up? Only time will tell but tearing ACLs in both knees before your 18th birthday is not encouraging. Luckily, he recovered fully from his first knee injury and for his second he will have access to one of the best training staffs in the ACC. They did a wonderful job when Kyrie Irving was hurt a few seasons ago and I have no doubt they will do another fine job with Giles.

Harry Giles joins Jayson Tatum, Frank Jackson and Javin DeLaurier in a 2016 class that is shaping up to be one for the ages.