4. PF Harry Giles, Duke
Giles has a ton of upside at the four spot, and with a strong showing at Duke this upcoming season could certainly see himself move even further up this list. As easily the top big man in the draft and a forceful physical presence around the basket, Giles’ blend of mobility and explosiveness is tough to find in players standing at 6-11.
On the offensive side of the ball, Giles’ greatest asset is his ability to move around the court with incredible fluidity. Whether it’s rolling to the basket after setting a screen or getting out into the open court and pushing the pace, he’s far quicker than most players his age and is a bouncy finisher when he gets near the rim.
Giles’ fundamentals are also well beyond his years in terms of development. His scoring moves with his back to the basket are still a work in progress, but he understands how to move and how to position himself for success within an offense. He has instincts that aren’t often found in bigs and is able to use those to find holes in the defense and set him up for success.
While he does have soft touch around the rim, Giles’ floor spacing ability is still largely in doubt. He has somewhat stiff mechanics that don’t often yield desirable results when he’s working outside the free throw line, and his free throw shooting is far from consistent in any manner at this stage. He has the ability to get into the lane off the bounce and is a highly aggressive offensive player, but is still far from developing the type of stretch four skill set that has been the hallmark of modern basketball as of late.
Rim protection will, however, be a major strength for Giles come next season. He has a lengthy 7-3 wingspan and is a terrific athlete from a one on one perspective. He tends to make pointless mistakes from time to time and hasn’t fully evolved in terms of decision making on the defensive end, but he should be able to alter shots with his length and guard either frontcourt position without being too much of a liability.
If he’s able to get a jumper falling at any rate next season, Giles’ stock could feasible skyrocket. He has as much raw upside as anybody in this loaded draft class, and is a strong season at Duke away from making a lot of NBA teams consider him as one of, if not the best prospect on the board.
Next: 3. Smith