The former no.1 college prospect Harry Giles was thought to be washed up because of his injuries but he may still be one of the first names called in the NBA 2017 Draft.
The NBA Draft for next year promises to be one of the best in recent years yet there aren't too many tanking teams. Perhaps after witnessing the Philadelphia 76ers, the most brazen tanking team in the past three years, most teams have accepted the fact that one rookie prospect will not change their team's fortunes in just a season.
Nevertheless, top draft picks are the foundation for building a contender and the model of the Oklahoma City Thunder when they picked Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden in three consecutive drafts remains the gold standard.
Harry Giles was projected to be the no.1 overall pick since he was already on the scouts' radar since he was a freshman in high school. However, blowing both ACLs is a huge red flag. Thus, it was a question that Bleacher Report tackled. Will Giles still be a lottery pick next year?
The challenge for Giles is convincing NBA General Managers to rely on very little sample size in making their choice.
"Without anything more than flashes, Giles will have a difficult time getting a general manager to pass on more productive prospects, many of whom will have similarly high ceilings and fewer red flags."
In his latest mock draft on ESPN Insider, Chad Ford still places Giles in the top 10, at 8th place possibly ending up with the Minnesota Timberwolves. But the college basketball season is far from over and Ford admits that "if Giles comes on late, he won't be available this low."
The Blue Devils is one of the most loaded teams in college basketball so they don't need to push Giles right away. That's probably one of the reasons why Giles chose the school where his close pal Jayson Tatum is going-Duke will not pressure him to play prematurely. That could be essential for his NBA bid.
In the meantime, watch Giles highlights which earned him an early no.1 projection.