2017 NBA Mock Draft: The best choice each team can make

Another franchise positioned to take risks — by virtue of being the worst team in the league — is the Brooklyn Nets. Last year, the Nets took a risk by trading into the first round for Michigan’s Caris LeVert and in 2017, they’re taking a similar action by drafting Duke’s Harry Giles with the pick they received from the Washington Wizards.

Giles is obviously a scary selection given his injury history. The Duke product tore his ACL prior to the start of his senior season in high school and had a follow on knee surgery ahead of his college freshman campaign. Those injuries seemed to affect Giles’ performance on the court in 2016-17 as he struggled to find his position in a Duke rotation that already featured senior Amile Jefferson.

However, if Giles is able to make a full recovery, he’ll be a steal for the Nets at No. 22. The 6-foot-11 center has terrific defensive potential because of his lateral mobility and ability to protect the rim. While Giles didn’t perform well this season, he still averaged 2.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per 40 minutes as a freshman. On offense, he needs to find his appropriate role whether that’s as a dive man in the pick-and-roll or via the development of a mid-range game. At the end of the day, there’s a reason Giles was the top-ranked player in this class at one point. The key will be how well he recovers from the injuries that hampered him this season.

Learn more about Harry Giles at The Step Back.