Sixers: Ranking every player on the roster after James Harden trade

Ranking every Sixers player — 8. Georges Niang

Georges Niang has looked right at home in Sixers colors. The 28-year-old is playing the biggest role of his career in Philadelphia, averaging 9.4 points and 2.7 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per game. His role should only get bigger with James Harden in the mix. Niang is one of the most willing shooters on the team, and with Andre Drummond out of the picture, some small-ball five minutes could be coming down the pipeline.

Regardless of position, Niang is one of the best shooters on the team (39.7 percent on 4.9 attempts per game from 3-point range). And, aside from Isaiah Joe (who isn’t playing), Niang is probably the most confident shooter on the team. He doesn’t get caught up in thought, he doesn’t play outside himself. He takes and makes 3s at an extremely high clip, and he doesn’t need the ball to impact winning.

Niang has proved his worth as the ultimate role player. He talks trash and competes hard defensively, he is unselfish and confident in equal measure offensively, and he is a clearly beneficial presence in the locker room. The “Mini Van” is both a fan favorite and a coach’s favorite. He’s someone Doc Rivers clearly trusts, and someone who could close a lot more games with Philadelphia’s new-look rotation.

There are ultimately some holes in Niang’s game. At 6-foot-7, he doesn’t really rebound the ball and he’s a below-average athlete, making him vulnerable in certain matchups defensively. A deficiency in athleticism is the biggest concern with Philadelphia’s rotation right now, and Niang is part of that. Even so, he does so many good things on both ends that it’s hard to see his role diminishing any time soon.