WHAT Bonus: New Players Part 1 Harry Giles with Jill Adge

It's always a treat to talk to Sacramento Kings fan Jill Adge, co-host of Hoop Ball Kings podcast. She was very happy to tell Blazers’ fans what we are going to love about Harry Giles. From flashes of brilliance on the court to overcoming serious injuries at a very young age to being just a fun person to watch, Blazers fans will learn a lot about Portland’s newest forward/center Harry Giles. 
2:00 What are people in Portland going to love about Harry Giles? He wears his heart on his sleeve. He plays like every play could be his last. He’s overcome so much to get where he is. 
4:00  Projected number 1 pick, two major injuries, so much to go through all before 16 years old. He wrote about it in a Players Tribune article after he was drafted: No Spoilers
5:45 Early comparisons to Chris Webber, there have been flashes of that when he has played. 
7:00 Initial reactions when Sacramento drafted him were that he was a risky pick.
8:30 Red shirt year was mostly about helping him build his body. The training staff that worked with him was very close to him and they are excited for him to get a chance in Portland. 
11:00 In 2018 the “Super Team, Just Young” came out strong. Giles was a big part of that. Worked great in a high post system. Needs to work on long range shots. During this time he worked closely with Vince Carter. 
12:15 Bogdan Bogdanovic praised him. Lots of comparisons to big name hall-of-famer types. Lots of pressure. 
13:45 Sacramento Kings fans were shocked that his option was not picked up.
15:30 Prior to the 2019-20 season suspension, Giles again played more and things started to click for him. But Walton avoided playing the younger players. 
18:30 A fun guy, really supportive and welcoming on twitter, helped a local broadcaster get enough tweets so he could wear a Harry Giles jersey to his wedding. 
20:00 He played both center and forward, had a hard time against big centers like Steven Adams.
22:45 Gary Trent Jr is another player who Portland got from Sacramento. 
23:25 Biggest things to watch for are health, fouling, and minutes on the court. The more he plays the better. 
24:40 Drew league story.
26:10 Can’t figure out why the Kings put so much care into developing him but then letting him walk away. It hurt. 
27:30 Nickname: Gizzle, but like gif, its unclear what the correct pronunciation is. 
29:45 Jill can be found on twitter at Jillian Adge (@JillAdge) and if you liked her energy and takes as much as I did, listen to her podcast @hoopballkings. Heck, with so many trades between Sacramento and Portland through the years, you’ll likely hear about future or past Blazers on her show! 
Harry Giles ReferencesHarry Giles Would Like to Re-Introduce Himself (David Gardner, Bleacher Report)
No Spoilers (Harry Giles, Players Tribune)
Harry Giles joins Blazers but still has love for Kings fans, Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee
Thank you for listening to the WHAT podcast! 
Join the Women’s Hoops And Talks Facebook group to talk about Trail Blazers with others who identify as women who love basketball.
Music used in the episode: “Happy Alley” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify
Find us on Twitter
WHAT Podcast (@wehaveatake)
Tara Bowen-Biggs (@tcbbiggs)
Cassidy Gemmet (@CassidyGemmet)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices