I’m legitimately confused why Harry Giles’ minutes have been so inconsistent this season. There has to be a reason other than Luke Walton AKA Puke Faulton is a terrible coach. There just has to be. Kings fans: if you would be so kind, please tell me what the HECK is going on with Giles this season in the comments of this video. What follows is my attempt at making sense out of a fundamentally nonsensical situation.
Giles was pretty good last season. At least, he looked good to my eyes. He had games where he showed off his scoring skills and his passing skills. He wasn’t consistently doing those things, but it was his rookie season, and there was reason to be excited for his future. But this season, he started off injured (I think?), then played limited minutes when he returned, then started racking up the DNP-CD’s. Now he’s back in the rotation again, but barely, and the game before this, he only got two minutes while Dewayne Dedmon got thirty minutes.
Here’s where it gets more confusing. Walton is supposed to hate Dedmon, and that’s the one opinion of Walton’s that makes sense, because Dedmon has been a walking bucket of ass this season. So why is Dedmon all of a sudden taking all of Giles’ minutes? Does nobody remember that Dedmon literally told a reporter that he wanted to be traded? Meanwhile Giles is being the patient guy on the end of the bench waiting for a chance, not making a stink or raising a fuss.
I understand Richaun Holmes taking Giles’ minutes. Holmes has been a certified studbeast this season. But this Kings team apparently sucks, and they’re definitely not making the playoffs, so why would you prioritize playing a thirty-year old Dedmon major minutes over trying to develop Giles? That’s straight-up Knicks territory right there, except instead of Gibson and Portis taking minutes from Knox, it’s Dedmon taking minutes from Giles.
Here’s the deal: if the Kings aren’t going to treat Giles right, they can trade him to the Bucks. It would be a complete Kings move for them to trade the young productive center when the old useless center is the one demanding a trade, but I wouldn’t argue. Plus, Thon Maker would look pretty good in a purple jersey.