Harry Giles

[hart2chesson]

GOOD NEWS for HG! He scored in double figures in less than 20 minutes Sunday! Couldn't help but smile broadly as he's what I call a FAN'S TYPE PLAYER. Truly good natured!

However as much as I GENUINELY LIKE Harry, I couldn't help but be intrigued by the question as it relates to the '17 team...



OFC

 

[Liftee]

Coach K said he would give Giles a scholarship even if Giles couldn't play the entire year. I assume because he is such a good guy. Giles not being able to play anywhere near to his potential is one of my biggest disappointments as a Duke fan, along with, of course, Kyrie...

 

[dukesince91]

Loved the kid. Anyone that’s had a young family member experience physical difficulties
understands what Harry has had to deal with. I can’t imagine the frustrations he’s had to go through. He’s one of my favorites and always will be regardless of what he did on the basketball court at Duke.

 

[Austinduke]

Yes I love the kid too! Both times we saw him outside Cameron he stopped and talked to my son and gave him an autograph and took pics with him always smiling and very friendly... hope he gets healthy and has a productive career

 

[dukiejay]

I’ve never questioned it. It’s actually never, ever even occurred to me.

I can’t imagine the emotional and psychological toll those injuries have had on Harry. He was pretty much a sure thing.

 

[skysdad]

Here's to Harry having a solid a productive career. OFC

 

[timo0402]

Harry will always have a special place in my heart. He had one of the best attitudes I’ve ever seen for someone that had gone through so much. His story with his childhood friend alone would do it for you but then you add in all the injuries he’s dealt with. I’m glad he came to Duke. His lasting memory for me is his sequence in the ACCT against Carolina. That was a flash, a glimpse of what we thought he could be before the injuries.

 

[hart2chesson]

The rejection at one end and alley oop pass for slam from Grayson in the Tourney against UNC is forever etched in my mind. Friday nite game in Brooklyn and we beat our hated rivals down the road handily.Next nite we made history beating Notre Dame, becoming 1st team to win 4 straight games to capture tourney.

Sure though, the question has crossed my mind I must admit, in retrospect. However he was such a good role model for the school, and it was more exemplary character by K to honor his commitment to Harry.

OFC

 

[Fourteen44]

Could you imagine a healthy Giles and healthy Zion front court? Wow!!

 

[jwill133]

Harry's season is the 2nd biggest "what if" for Duke of the decade. IMO the biggest is what if Kyrie stayed healthy, I think we roll through that season with 1 or 2 losses total and win the title. We also go down as one of the greatest college basketball teams ever.

Back around 2015, I remember reading a recruiting article calling Harry Giles the best recruit in a decade and the closest thing to Chris Webber that basketball has seen. He was supposed to be an immediate superstar.
Our 2017 team was a failure, no way around it. Loads of talent but we could never put it together. Tatum and Kennard seemed to never co-exist much, Grayson's whole year was a disaster and we finally took off when K brought him off the bench and started Frank Jackson. Bolden battled injuries and wasn't ready to contribute even though he was a 5 star center.

Regardless, we still could of won the freaking title. UNC won it that year and we beat them 2 outta 3. Imagine how dominant we would have been with a healthy Giles.....

 

[OldasdirtDevil]

Harry Giles is everything that Duke is all about. Being a basketball player at Duke is more than just playing basketball. I hope the very best for this young man, he's so deserving.

OFC

 

[LetsGoDuke83]

I was blessed to see pre injury Harry live, man what could have been. Very KG like

 

[Mac9192]

I do understand why he played, but I also can see why some wonder about him playing, because he wasn’t ready.
All those that have been around him, or met him, say he’s a nice young man. I golf with a guy that went to school with him, and he said he could dunk as a 6th grader.
The what if’s...

 

[sheyduke]

I’d look for him to either be traded or a free agent this offseason and it’s not a bad thing. He was given a clean bill of health and is just in a bad log jam with the Kings and their front court.

Not gonna lie, I’d take him in Charlotte in a heartbeat

 

[hart2chesson]

Harry's season is the 2nd biggest "what if" for Duke of the decade. IMO the biggest is what if Kyrie stayed healthy, I think we roll through that season with 1 or 2 losses total and win the title. We also go down as one of the greatest college basketball teams ever.

Back around 2015, I remember reading a recruiting article calling Harry Giles the best recruit in a decade and the closest thing to Chris Webber that basketball has seen. He was supposed to be an immediate superstar.
Our 2017 team was a failure, no way around it. Loads of talent but we could never put it together. Tatum and Kennard seemed to never co-exist much, Grayson's whole year was a disaster and we finally took off when K brought him off the bench and started Frank Jackson. Bolden battled injuries and wasn't ready to contribute even though he was a 5 star center.

Regardless, we still could of won the freaking title. UNC won it that year and we beat them 2 outta 3. Imagine how dominant we would have been with a healthy Giles.....

Great post! You mirror my thoughts exactly on the '17 team....I have felt that way for sometime....OFC

 

[df64]

The 17 team was not a failure.

 

[GillJET]

Harry will always have a special place in my heart. He had one of the best attitudes I’ve ever seen for someone that had gone through so much. His story with his childhood friend alone would do it for you but then you add in all the injuries he’s dealt with. I’m glad he came to Duke. His lasting memory for me is his sequence in the ACCT against Carolina. That was a flash, a glimpse of what we thought he could be before the injuries.

Unforgettable sequence from Harry in that game. I always go back to that as well Timo.

 

[timo0402]

The 17 team was not a failure.

Failure is blowing it out of proportion I think. As a recent K sit down with Tom Rinaldi suggests, i guess 350 other teams failed that year too. Ultimate goal wasn’t reached- failure. Of course that 2017 team had to deal with more injuries and adversity than any other team that i can remember. All but two guys all season were hurt, we never got to see the full potential of a number of them. Graysons antics and the negative press that surrounded that, K went out, you name it. We rattled off the only four games in four days achievement to win the ACCT, beat UNC 2 of 3 times and got completely screwed by the committee- and although the last part sounds like sour grapes, and admittedly it is, i haven’t gotten over that. We had more top tier wins than any other team in the country that season and yet somehow get slotted as the 2 seed, in South Carolina against 7 seed SOUTH CAROLINA, with UNC fans in the building having played the earlier game. It was our fault for not putting them away in the first half and letting them back in it- If we had just put them away (a weakness all year for that team) unc fans go home at the first tv timeout and don’t make it a 90/10 partisan crowd for the entirety of the second half.

 

[Quavarius]

I’m always rooting for Harry! Dude handled HIS adversity in one of the best ways you could.

Says a lot that Duke didn’t give up on him even with the injuries. The Basketball Gods never forgets those kind gestures!

 

[hart2chesson]

Biggest failure prior to postseason of '17 was losing to NC State AT HOME. K was out that game, but still should have won.K knew it too- had team to his home after game and gave 'em earful....I remember Tatum tried a behind the back dribble up the floor in our last gasp at game's end, but Dennis Smith stole it. Grayson was open left wing. Bottom line I think committee used that loss in Cameron against us in pairings....OFC

 

[LetsGoDuke83]

Biggest failure prior to postseason of '17 was losing to NC State AT HOME. K was out that game, but still should have won.K knew it too- had team to his home after game and gave 'em earful....I remember Tatum tried a behind the back dribble up the floor in our last gasp at game's end, but Dennis Smith stole it. Grayson was open left wing. Bottom line I think committee used that loss in Cameron against us in pairings....OFC

We got screwed that year playing sc in sc, I still get pissed about it.

 

[HeLooks2MuchLikeDave]

Giles was my favorite recruit since Maggette and until Zion. So bummed for Harry as a player and us as fans. Really hope he finds himself in a good situation. He's still one of my favorites.

 

[timo0402]

Biggest failure prior to postseason of '17 was losing to NC State AT HOME. K was out that game, but still should have won.K knew it too- had team to his home after game and gave 'em earful....I remember Tatum tried a behind the back dribble up the floor in our last gasp at game's end, but Dennis Smith stole it. Grayson was open left wing. Bottom line I think committee used that loss in Cameron against us in pairings....OFC

I remember this board was all over Tatum more than any player i could remember to that point. The irony being, we were getting beat pretty bad before he turned it on and lead us all the way back. He made the boneheaded decision which ultimately crushed the comeback effort. I’m not sure if that game was the deciding factor or not in the committee but we got screwed being placed where we were.

 

[hart2chesson]

We got screwed that year playing sc in sc, I still get pissed about it.

I remember this board was all over Tatum more than any player i could remember to that point. The irony being, we were getting beat pretty bad before he turned it on and lead us all the way back. He made the boneheaded decision which ultimately crushed the comeback effort. I’m not sure if that game was the deciding factor or not in the committee but we got screwed being placed where we were.

We did indeed "get screwed" per the committee when you pause and think how they could best sabotage a possibility Duke could win #6 and 2 in 3 years for Coach K. I just historically think we've been screwed over by the committee. Thought they were trying to use leverage w/that loss to State...

OFC

 

[Jacket4]

Let me tell you this... Giles played only 2 years of high school basketball but anyone that watched him those two years knew... This kid had all star potential NBA MVP talent written all over him. Watching his knees betray him is a travesty. But this kid does not quit, he has kept working kept a smile on his face and refuses to give up. Man I cant wait for him to have that break out year where the Kings can't keep him off the court because this kid deserves it

 

[LetsGoDuke83]

Let me tell you this... Giles played only 2 years of high school basketball but anyone that watched him those two years knew... This kid had all star potential NBA MVP talent written all over him. Watching his knees betray him is a travesty. But this kid does not quit, he has kept working kept a smile on his face and refuses to give up. Man I cant wait for him to have that break out year where the Kings can't keep him off the court because this kid deserves it

I lived down the street from Wesleyan and saw him and Pinson play. The talent pre injury was unreal

 

[bullettoothtony]

Failure is blowing it out of proportion I think. As a recent K sit down with Tom Rinaldi suggests, i guess 350 other teams failed that year too. Ultimate goal wasn’t reached- failure. Of course that 2017 team had to deal with more injuries and adversity than any other team that i can remember. All but two guys all season were hurt, we never got to see the full potential of a number of them. Graysons antics and the negative press that surrounded that, K went out, you name it. We rattled off the only four games in four days achievement to win the ACCT, beat UNC 2 of 3 times and got completely screwed by the committee- and although the last part sounds like sour grapes, and admittedly it is, i haven’t gotten over that. We had more top tier wins than any other team in the country that season and yet somehow get slotted as the 2 seed, in South Carolina against 7 seed SOUTH CAROLINA, with UNC fans in the building having played the earlier game. It was our fault for not putting them away in the first half and letting them back in it- If we had just put them away (a weakness all year for that team) unc fans go home at the first tv timeout and don’t make it a 90/10 partisan crowd for the entirety of the second half.

I said the exact same thing recently in another thread tim... so glad to hear it still irks someone as much as it still irritates me (about the seeding that year).

I mean I'm not losing sleep about it but they parlayed that undeserved seeding advantage to a national championship.

 

[timo0402]

I said the exact same thing recently in another thread tim... so glad to hear it still irks someone as much as it still irritates me (about the seeding that year).

I mean I'm not losing sleep about it but they parlayed that undeserved seeding advantage to a national championship.

Not only that but people forget that they should have lost that game. They whine about the refs but my god let me whine back, they got handed it!

 

[df64]

Heels should have lost their second round game vs. Arkansas, which was nowhere near as good as South Carolina. Refs totally screwed Arkansas at the end of that game.

 

[Mpm277]

I always wanted so badly for Giles to get and remain healthy. Like DJ said, I can't imagine the psychological toll it has to take on you.

 

[df64]

If Giles was completely healthy, how similar to Zions one year experience would it have been? That kind of athletic dominance with an amazing personality and him being the ultimate teammate.
I also suspect that if he was fully healthy and leading the team, the rest of the team would have settled into their proper roles much more effectively. Even with all of the other injuries, those guys would have been able to stay out and work their way back in much more effectively without the pressure to hurry back.

 

[timo0402]

If Giles was completely healthy, how similar to Zions one year experience would it have been? That kind of athletic dominance with an amazing personality and him being the ultimate teammate.
I also suspect that if he was fully healthy and leading the team, the rest of the team would have settled into their proper roles much more effectively. Even with all of the other injuries, those guys would have been able to stay out and work their way back in much more effectively without the pressure to hurry back.

Dude that is a great point. Spot on. If a healthy Harry is playing. He’s the alpha. He’s a huge huge reason we got Tatum. If he’s the “leader” you’re spot on- everyone else falls in place. What a shame.