Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum arrived in Durham as top-five recruits in the 2016 class. Seven years later, the Duke basketball one-and-done teammates and long-time friends are at near-opposite ends of the spectrum regarding NBA success.
After going No. 20 overall at the 2017 NBA Draft despite knee injuries from high school plaguing his brief stint with the Blue Devils, Giles spent three years with the Sacramento Kings before signing a one-year contract with the Portland Trail Blazers as a free agent in 2020.
For now, his 2020-21 campaign in Portland marks his last in the NBA, having never averaged more than seven points or five rebounds in any season.
But it's nice to see Harry Giles serving as an in-person Jayson Tatum supporter. Stadium's Jeff Goodman reported his appearance with the following complimentary tweet after Tatum tallied 21 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds in leading the Celtics to a 110-97 Game 5 home victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday night:
Tatum, a four-time All-Star and last year's Eastern Conference Finals MVP, is again the Celtics' centerpiece as they gear up for Saturday night's Game 6 bout in Miami. They have a chance to force a Game 7 in Boston and perhaps return to the NBA Finals by becoming the first squad in history to win a series after facing a 3-0 deficit.
Not only does Tatum lead the league with his 498 points and counting in this year's NBA Playoffs, but it's worth noting that no player has more postseason points than his 2,191 since entering the league as the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2017.
Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum has pushed for some franchise to give Harry Giles a chance. However, that hasn't happened.
The last time Giles played professionally, he averaged 11.7 points and 7.3 rebounds for the 2021-22 Agua Caliente Clippers in the G League. Due to an injury, though, his season ended following only a few appearances, and the team waived him.
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