Niels Giffey working out with three teams this week

[Dynasty]

David Pick ‏@IAmDPick 1h
NCAA-winning SF Niels Giffey is working out for PHI. Sessions with NYK and DET up next.

The 76ers workout is today. The Knicks and Pistons is later this week.

 

[Huskies4ever]

David Pick ‏@IAmDPick 1h
NCAA-winning SF Niels Giffey is working out for PHI. Sessions with NYK and DET up next.

The 76ers workout is today. The Knicks and Pistons is later this week.

He got plenty of exposure winning a 'ship, and it's great to see the amount of teams showing interest in giving him a chance.

 

[pnete]

Giffey has a real shot at making a team. It depends on whether he hits the NBA three ball at a high rate. Giffey can defend 2/3 and switch out on 1/4 for short periods. He gets back on D and rebounds. Doesn't make a ton of stupid plays. NBA GM's know that it takes a lot of very good players to win a title and Giffey can fill in a role shooting open threes and not hurt the team on defense. And he hs gotten better each year, is reasonably glutch and fills the wing on the break. He won't demand the ball and can drift to open spots..

 

[pnete]

Griffey can hit threes, guard three/four positions, rebounds, runs the floor, doesn't make a lot of mistakes, gets his hand on a ton of loose balls, finishes on the break and gets better every year. He could play for Charlotte right now. BUT he has to hit the open three. He has t a better shot than Boatright, even though Boat is a better player if that makes sense. Giffey can fill a role on a team. He has real chance on late 2nd round and will get invited Las Vegas Summer league.
One last note. NBA needs practice players who know how to work hard and runs sets. Giffey would be perfect for this role.

 

[joober jones]

That's 4 teams now, counting Utah. Maybe NG in the NBA isn't so far-fetched after all.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

What are the four positions you think Giffey can guard in the NBA? I hope you mean shooting guard, backup shooting guard, wing, and backup wing.

Griffey can hit threes, guard three/four positions, rebounds, runs the floor, doesn't make a lot of mistakes, gets his hand on a ton of loose balls, finishes on the break and gets better every year. He could play for Charlotte right now. BUT he has to hit the open three. He has t a better shot than Boatright, even though Boat is a better player if that makes sense. Giffey can fill a role on a team. He has real chance on late 2nd round and will get invited Las Vegas Summer league.

 

[Gurleyman]

Just a cautionary word. You don't want to read too much into these workout reports, since a lot of times, the teams are really only interested in one or two guys that they bring in, but they invite five or six so they can do different drills - run some three on three, have different players of comparable size/skill defending the guy they are interested in. It could very well be that in one or more of these cases, Giffey is one of the guys that has piqued their interest - or he could play so well that he surprises someone who wasn't really interested in him before. Obviously, it is always better to be in these workouts than not get a chance to showcase yourself at all.

 

[Dynasty]

Met with the Raptors yesterday:

 

[Kitaman]

Is Kevin pulling strings or is this all Giffey, or combination thereof?

 

[Palatine]

Is Kevin pulling strings or is this all Giffey, or combination thereof?

It's probably neither. It's Giffey's agent.

 

[CallMeBruce]

What are the four positions you think Giffey can guard in the NBA? I hope you mean shooting guard, backup shooting guard, wing, and backup wing.

I'm not sure he has the lateral quickness to guard more than a handful of NBA 2's or 3's, either. I love Niels, but on-ball defense will be an issue for him at the next level.

 

[3rdbass]

I'm not sure he has the lateral quickness to guard more than a handful of NBA 2's or 3's, either. I love Niels, but on-ball defense will be an issue for him at the next level.

I disagree with this statement. NG has great lateral quickness and even guarded much smaller, quick pt guards in his career at UCONN. He can guard the NBA 3 fine and definitely a decent amount of 2's. HE won't be guarding NBA point guards. Where giffey needs to improve is his strength and his ability to dribble. He is very weak in creating off the dribble but has improved in his years at UCONN. If players like Legler, Kerr and now Korver can play in the NBA then so can Giffey defensively. He just needs to improve his offense enough to have an impact at the NBA level. I hope he is working on his 3 pt. shot and dribbling. His defense will be valued at the NBA level but probably won't offset no offense as he isn't Dennis Rodman.

 

[ford82]

I think his on-ball defense is one of the best parts of his game. He makes up for a slight lack of quickness with his length. He might have trouble with 2's but he will be able to guard most 3's in the NBA. In fact, he has already guarded a number of players who are currently playing in the NBA, Jimmie Butler ans Nicolas Batum to name a couple.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I'm not sure he has the lateral quickness to guard more than a handful of NBA 2's or 3's, either. I love Niels, but on-ball defense will be an issue for him at the next level.

How long did Brian Cardinal play in the NBA. Hustle guy who did the small things.
Maybe a little taller and a little slower and certainly Giff is a better shooter.

 

[CallMeBruce]

How long did Brian Cardinal play in the NBA. Hustle guy who did the small things.
Maybe a little taller and a little slower and certainly Giff is a better shooter.

Cardinal primarily played the 4 at the NBA level, and he was a much, much, much better player in college than Giffey was. He also wasn't as reliant on the 3-ball in college. 56% of Giffey's FG attempts this year were three-pointers, mostly spot up, catch-and-shoot. He wasn't creating shots for himself, generally. Cardinal took a fair number of threes, but it was always about a third of his shot attempts, and he had some semblance of a low-post game.

 

[Joobie]

One of my favorites! Way to go Niels!

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Cardinal primarily played the 4 at the NBA level, and he was a much, much, much better player in college than Giffey was. He also wasn't as reliant on the 3-ball in college. 56% of Giffey's FG attempts this year were three-pointers, mostly spot up, catch-and-shoot. He wasn't creating shots for himself, generally. Cardinal took a fair number of threes, but it was always about a third of his shot attempts, and he had some semblance of a low-post game.

I don't recall Purdue winning any NC when he was there.
They did make the Sweet 16 in 99 . I saw him play that year . The only thing that stood out about his game was his incredible hustle.
It was his hustle not his talent that made him stick around in the NBA for years.

 

[pnete]

It's probably neither. It's Giffey's agent.

C'om on. Ollie knows every GM in the league and I'm sure they have all talked with him about Giffey.

 

[pnete]

What are the four positions you think Giffey can guard in the NBA? I hope you mean shooting guard, backup shooting guard, wing, and backup wing.

Teams in NBA do a lot of switching. Giffey can can offer some defense for a few seconds on a switch. He's not going one on one against Wall or guarding Duncan down low for entire quarter. But he has a chance to hold his own as the shot clock winds down or help arrives.
He has done it consistently in college. He did it against Kentucky. Against Michigan State. These are NBA athletes.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I don't recall Purdue winning any NC when he was there.

Giffey isn't making an NBA roster because of championships he won, and you know it.

They did make the Sweet 16 in 99 . I saw him play that year . The only thing that stood out about his game was his incredible hustle.
It was his hustle not his talent that made him stick around in the NBA for years.

It's both. He was a hustle player, but he's coming from a higher level of talent than Giffey. There's no amount of hustle that you or I would have that would put us on an NBA roster. Cardinal was a fringe NBA player despite working his ass off and being significantly more talented than Giffey.

 

[Strummer]

While I think it's a long shot, it would give me more pleasure to see Giff make a team and stick around the league for a few year than any prior player. There's just something completely selfless about the guy that makes me root for him like few others - he just always seemed to be team-first, and he put in his time in spades. And yeah, he hit several huge 3s in the NC run to put us over the top. May be my favorite Husky ever, because he reminds me of a taller, much more talented version of myself lo those many years ago. In fact, I've decided, he is my favorite Husky ever.

 

[elduderino]

Giffey isn't making an NBA roster because of championships he won, and you know it.



It's both. He was a hustle player, but he's coming from a higher level of talent than Giffey. There's no amount of hustle that you or I would have that would put us on an NBA roster. Cardinal was a fringe NBA player despite working his ass off and being significantly more talented than Giffey.

I'm personally hoping he can figure out how to become some sort of J.J. Redick / Brian Cardinal hybrid. I think hes got the heart and skillset, but it wont be overnight, not that he has ever been that kind of player anyway.

 

[blackbird]

I think Giffey can be a 3 and D guy in the NBA. Heck, he shut down the Kentucky player in the championship game.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

I would love to see him get picked up by the Knicks.

 

[aceboon]

Niels is currently at the Adidas Eurocamp that is finishing up today

Nate Duncan
@NateDuncanNBA
Niels Giffey's experience and shooting showing through in this setting. Should make a nice European player.