Following the news that Harry Giles tore his right ACL earlier this week, his close friend Jayson Tatum has replaced Giles as the projected No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, according to DraftExpress.com.
The 6-foot-10 Giles is now projected at No. 2.
Giles will announce his college choice on Friday at noon on ESPN. If he selects Duke, he and Tatum will be teammates next season, giving coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils the projects top two picks in 2017.
“Obviously, it’s not ideal for him to miss another full year of development at such a crucial age,” Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com told SNY.tv of Giles. “But ACL tears today aren’t what they were 20 or even 10 years ago.
“He’s young enough that he can definitely make a full recovery from it and regain his status as a top prospect for the 2017 NBA Draft. Some teams may be wary, but a lot will come down to what their doctors think. In particular, what is the liklihood of him staying healthy long-term? Not all ACLs are the same. Some are worse than others. He has 19 months to build himself back up before the 2017 NBA Draft. That’s a very long time. If he rehabs the right way and shows he heals accordingly, I think he’s still a very strong candidate to be picked extremely high.”
Giles has already torn his left ACL and MCL, but made a full recovery. He tore his right ACL on Tuesday night in his very first game at Oak Hill Academy (VA).
Asked how it might impact his NBA prospects, one scout told SNY.tv, “Not at all. They can be repaired.”
He added: “His medicals at the Chicago Combine when he declares will be key for his draft status.”
A second NBA scout added: “It will be monitored very closely but in a year he should be healthy for big-time college ball and everyone will have a chance to see him play a full schedule.”
Said a third scout: “Injury history is always a big part of calculating risk in a multi-million dollar investment.”
