He certainly looked more athletic than that in some of his highlight videos, so it's definitely possible we can chalk it up to a bad day. However, that # is higher than guys like Durant, Kawhi, DeAndre, Bobby Portis, Larry Sanders, Klay Thompson, Whiteside, Javale McGee, etc. I've seen the vertical #s posted a lot in criticism of him. It seems pretty silly.
I'm okay picking him because we have 3 picks. If we only had 15 or 20 or 26 alone, I'd be more dubious. Can compensate with the other picks if he busts.
I don't he will go lottery I think he will be there at 15. Now I don't know about Indiana that pick before us at 20. He is working out for Indiana and Pritchard is in charge over there now. If it was Bird in charge I don't know if he would take him.
I certainly would. If Giles, Luke Kennard, Donovan Mitchell, and John Collins all elevate to the lottery as some have speculated, Zach Collins could conceivably drop to us. That's insane.
It's weird you almost never hear about ACL tears at the NBA level anymore. I have heard recently that most ACL tears can be prevented by proper pre-activity stretching and warmup. I wonder if most NBA trainers are really on top of this kind of thing now. They know what pre-symptoms to look for and make sure those players are taken care of properly. Makes me think that ACL isn't a condemning injury as it used to be. The meniscus on the other hand depending on how it was treated could be a different story IMO.
Orion: If you have any spare drywall laying around, I suggest you attach it to a convenient location, like between posts in a carport or some open studs someplace. Or maybe put up a small temporary structure. Kind of an S2 Pinata. Just in case. Have fun.
Agreed, and the more I read about it, the more concerned I get. He originally injured his left knee (including the meniscus) in 2013, and appeared fully recovered from that injury before his senior year. His ACL tear in 2015 was in his right knee, but one has to wonder if compensation for the left wasn't at least a contributing factor. Then, his surgery last October was an unspecified arthroscopy on his left knee, the one with the previously injured meniscus. The only information I can find regarding that surgery referred to it as a "clean up procedure" intended to help him be 100% after recovery. It's tough not to believe that the procedure was in fact a partial meniscectomy, considering the history and the recovery timeline. Now obviously in Brandon Roy, we've already seen a player become incredibly successful, even if for only a short time, after meniscus issues. But it's not unreasonable to be concerned about his long-term viability as an NBA player given what we already know, even if teams' doctors give his knees a clean bill of health.
The fact that Livingston is still in the league, let alone producing at a high level, really underscores your point. There's also the obscure matter of how important the ACL really is...
I would be weary of selecting him. He seems very limited because of the injuries, the highlights of him in high school don't look like the pre draft workout. He still looks to be very talented but physically he seems much less comfortable and the swagger and confidence are not the same. I think unless he goes through some major physical improvement that he's already past his prime. I hope for him that he gets a contract but don't want the Blazers to be the ones offering him that
As a fanbase and team we are due for one of these kids with bad knees to workout at some point right?
lamarcus Aldridge had a no step vertical of 26.5" and a max of 34". I suspect giles is still working on gaining confidence, strength, and agility after his long rehabs from surgeries. still this isn't a vote for him at #15. just saying.
I say if he there at 20 we pick him up that of course we don't trade. I believe he worth the gamble at this pick.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160709040658/http://www.nbadraft.net:80/ nbadraft.net's 2017 mock in July, 2016: 1. Josh Jackson 2. Harry Giles 3. Markelle Fultz 4. Dennis Smith 5. Jonathan Issac Lonzo was 9th. This is less than a year ago. This is a guy you can definitely take a chance with given his history.
Similar to how Cliff Alexander was a top 5 prospect in the 2015 draft as of July 2014...but we all know what happened there. https://web.archive.org/web/20140727050121/http://www.nbadraft.net/
