Ranking every player on the Sixers’ 2021-22 roster

Ranking every player on the Sixers roster — 10. Georges Niang

Arguably the Sixers’ most notable offseason acquisition, many people have pigeonholed Georges Niang as the “Mike Scott replacement.” That’s true in a sense — he’s a stretch four who is getting minutes Doc Rivers desperately wanted to give to Mike Scott last season. But, it does not do justice to what Niang gives Philadelphia on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, Niang is flat-out better than Scott, even when the latter was in his “prime” a couple seasons back. Scott was a good spot-up shooter who provided real range to the Sixers’ offense, but Niang is a far more dynamic, far more involved offensive player.

Whereas Scott was a standstill shooter with a maddening love for mid-range J’s and ill-advised post-ups, Niang is a fervent off-ball mover with a quick trigger and excellent passing instincts. He’s not a playmaker, per se, but he does connect dots offensively, making smart reads and never letting the ball stick. With Scott, the ball would often stick.

Defense is not Niang’s strength, but he’s not unplayable by any stretch. While Scott provided toughness on the margins, he wasn’t a particularly good defender. Niang will provide a considerable upgrade.

In Philadelphia, the 6-foot-7 Niang will get deployed in a variety of contexts. He will play next to Joel Embiid, where his spot-up shooting and prowess in the two-man game will shine. In other lineups, he will be the small-ball five, allowing him to use his sly quickness against slow-footed bigs. He will also help anchor Rivers’ famous all-bench lineups. We will get to see the full extent of Niang’s skill set after several seasons on the fringe of Utah’s rotation.