The J-Notes
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NBA mock draft 2017: Our consensus for the Utah Jazz and the entire first round

By Ryan Aston

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dante Exum (Australia) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number five overall pick to the Utah Jazz in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dante Exum (Australia) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number five overall pick to the Utah Jazz in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Harry Giles Duke NBA Draft
Mar 11, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Harry Giles (1) celebrates with teammates after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the ACC Conference Tournament final at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

125. . C. Duke. Harry Giles. 19. player

HT: 6’11”  WT: 222  WINGSPAN: 7’3 ¼”  Age: 19

Harry Giles reminds me of Joel Embiid, DeJuan Blair or former Jazz pick Curtis Borchardt. All were top flight prospects before big-time injury concerns came into play. When the Jazz gambled on Borchardt, for example, they lived to regret it. And while Blair had some good years in the league, his bad knees won in the end.

The jury is still out on Embiid, who has missed significant time already/

Giles may not be a potential franchise cornerstone like Embiid, but he could be a high pick with star potential if a team is convinced he’s OK physically. If not, Giles could drop out of the first round entirely, as he did in one of our individual mocks.