Sacramento Kings: Giles Must Start For Kings To Succeed.
Image: Clutch Points
It’s time for Harry Giles to start. Dave Joerger has been committed to Willie Cauley-Stein all year. He’s been extremely underwhelming. Giles has been the Sacramento Kings best big man over the last few games. There is an obvious decision for Joerger to make.
Giles red-shirted his rookie season. The jury was still out on him going into this season. Nobody knew what to expect out of the former Duke Blue Devil. The drafting of fellow Duke alumn, Marvin Bagley III, just complicated the matter.
Things now appear to sway in Giles favor. Bagley is hurt, and the team desperately needs another active body on the court. Cauley-Stein doesn’t show effort on most nights. His performance of the last month has been downright disappointing. The complete opposite can be said for Giles.
While Giles has spent a fair amount of time in the G-League, there shouldn’t be any question of his ability. Joerger has been playing him a lot more. The last two games have been some of Giles most impressive. He’s proving his worth with games of 7 and 5 rebounds. Giles only received 13 and 19 minutes in those contests.
The defense of Giles has levels ahead of Cauley-Stein. Over the course of the Kings first two games of the new year, Giles has amassed a much better +/- rating. Cauley-Stein had a +2 rating against Portland on January 1st, and a -6 rating against Denver on January 3rd. On the other hand, Giles was +13 against Portland, and -2 against Denver.
The numbers don’t lie here. Giles is a much more active defender. Giles has motivation. Cauley-Stein seems to care about the wrong things. He’s hinted at being motivated solely by money. Cauley-Stein could be making a lot more if he gave half the effort of Giles. It’s puzzling why he’s not as efficient.
There’s little reason to start Cauley-Stein and give him the bulk of the minutes at center. Harry Giles might be a bit undersized, but, there are plenty of others in the league that face similar situations. Dave Joerger needs to make the right choice. Starting Giles and giving him more minutes might be the spark the Sacramento Kings need.
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
