NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets center Harry Giles III has had a storied history ever since he was one of the best players in the country during his high school days. Now, in his sixth season in the NBA, Giles is looking to get his career back on track with the Nets and had quite the performance in Thursday’s preseason game.
Nic Claxton is usually the starting center for Brooklyn, but he sat out Thursday’s game against Maccabi Ra’anana because of a sore glute. Giles had to go from getting his foot under him to hitting the court running.
“First I found out I was starting was about 25 minutes before the game,” Giles said when asked how long did he know that he was going to start on Thursday. Giles didn’t let the sudden call to action knock him off his game as he put up 16 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes of floor time.
Seeing Giles play the way he did on Thursday was good to see, not only for Brooklyn, but for himself as well. The last time that Giles played in an NBA game was during the 2020-21 season with the Portland Trail Blazers. Since then, he has either been unable to play because of injury or was trying to find a way back onto a team through the G League.
Brooklyn took a chance on Giles by signing him to a one-year deal after seeing him work out in the summer. Giles understands what performances like the one he had on Thursday mean for his career.
“I was ready, regardless of whether I started or not,” Giles continued. “So, I’m just thankful for that great opportunity.”
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