Written by: Justin DiVirgillio
Georges Niang is a definitive role player in the NBA and his role with the Philadelphia 76ers is well-established. Niang is one of the Sixers’ main three-point shooters or bombers as our former coach, Brett Brown would say. Niang is third on the team in three-point attempts with 5.4 per game and is only a hair behind De’Anthony Melton’s 5.6 attempts for second most in Philly. Niang is shooting a scorching hot 41.2 percent from behind the arc, which is good for the 19th-best in the NBA and a few percentage points above his career three-point average of 40.6.
Uniquely and accurately nicknamed “The Minivan”, Niang brings more to this team than shooting though. Niang is a modern-day power forward that is a connecting piece on the offensive end of the floor. The Iowa State product can put the ball on the floor when a defender closes out on him. Either deciding to use his slow, drudging steps to get to his YMCA-type floater game in the middle of the paint or to find an open teammate off a defensive rotation back out ready for a catch and shot three-pointer. His averages on the season in 19.9 minutes per game are 9.1 points per game, 2.5 rebounds per game, and 1.2 assists per game on shooting splits of .449/.412/.875.
The six-year NBA veteran provides another service on this team and that is his irrationally confident unconscious three-point shooting and lead trash-talker. Niang can be seen on more than a few occasions each game jawing with opposing players, talking to referees, and reacting to plays emotionally. Endearing himself to all Sixers’ diehards out in the crowd as they can see themselves in him. The only thing about Niang is that his downfall is completely exploitable and that is his defense. He moves his feet to the best of his ability but is usually not enough to stop other power forwards at a consistent rate. All in all, Niang has given the team exactly what they pay him for.