Harry Giles’ Development Key To Kings’ Future

The Kings, long mired in relative insignificance, have surprisingly put together a strong start to the 2018/19 season, writes James Blancarte of Basketball Insiders. Buoyed by the play of guards De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, and Bogdan Bogdanovic and big men Willie Cauley-Stein and Marvin Bagley, the young Kings have a winning record nearly halfway through their schedule as they look for their first winning season since 2005-06.

And while rookie Bagley, the No. 2 overall selection in last June’s draft, has garnered more national attention, Sacramento fans know that the development of their other rookie big man, 20-year-old Harry Giles, is perhaps just as important to the long-term future of this franchise.

Giles, who has bounced back and forth between Sacramento and Stockton this season, knows that while it may be difficult to stay patient, his time may be coming sooner rather than later, especially if Cauley-Stein decides to sign a big offer sheet elsewhere this summer and the Kings opt not to match.

“It’s good. It’s helping me develop. Stay patient and helping me slow down, translate my game to the big leagues. Just trying to play the game the same way I play there, be patient and play with poise. Just let the game come to me. I’m just trying to translate to this.”

Part of Giles’ emphasis on his game moving forward is to put a lot of work into different areas in order to round out his game in what has become an NBA filled with versatile big man who can play outside of the paint, especially on defense.

“(Defense) isn’t difficult but it’s a lot of different things. You got to put together with calling out the screens, the way you want to cover it and so many different things you have to do, positioning to get the rebound too. You got to be smart with things like that. It comes with time, it comes with experience. It comes with guarding different players. I think you guard every player in the league, it’ll change up. But for the most part, it’s great.”

Luckily for Giles, the Kings are open to waiting patiently for him to improve his game and develop, as general manager Vlade Divac doesn’t appear to be keen on making any drastic moves in order to increase the team’s playoff chances in sacrifice of the franchise’s future.

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