Georges Niang Taken With 50th Pick by Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers selected Georges Niang with their 2nd round pick.

With the 50th pick of the NBA draft, the Indiana Pacers selected Georges Niang of Iowa State.

So what do we know about the forward? He averaged 20.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists last season with the Cyclones.

Along with his averages, he is a 54.6% shooter from the field and 39.2% from 3-point range. According to Sportradar US, he was the leading scorer among senior forwards and 7th in assists.

Georges Niang – Iowa State Cyclones | PointAfter

Draft Express had mixed reviews of Niang, but he did make the most of his day at the NBA scouting combine.

"Georges Niang may have had the most productive outing of any player at the NBA Combine in day one, scoring a smooth 20 points in 20 minutes of action, while putting his full bag of tricks on display. Niang measured out well to start things off, just a hair under 6’7 in shoes, with a 6’10 wingspan, which is not bad for a power forward. He’s done some really nice things with his body as well, and looks to be in excellent shape.Niang showed his entire offensive arsenal today. He made a spot-up 3-pointer, and created a lot of offense himself off the bounce, using outstanding footwork and a variety of moves to finish around the rim, including a swooping hook, a pretty scoop shot, and demonstrating all kinds of touch off the glass. His skill-level is extremely high, and he has an outstanding understanding of how to maximize himself when defenses take away his primary moves, while still looking to get teammates involved unselfishly.Niang grabbed just 3 rebounds in 20 minutes, something that’s been somewhat of an Achilles heel for him his whole career, and didn’t do much to answer the question marks about who he will guard at the next level. He did a great job of showcasing his strengths while staying within himself, though, and likely earned himself some more looks during the draft process in the form of private workouts with NBA teams."

However, there are a few concerns.

According to the Des Moines Register’s Danny Lawhon, NBA scouts gave some brutal assessments of the Niang.

"Here’s the take on Niang, a 6-foot-8 forward who was a two-time consensus All-America selection and this year’s Karl Malone Award winner.“He’s a guy that coaches will love. He’s undersized and he’s a terrible athlete, but he’s a basketball player. He has as high a basketball IQ as anybody in this draft. Can really shoot and you can run offense through him on the elbow because he can pass it. I don’t know that he’ll get drafted. He should play in Europe for 15 years and make obscene money.”"

He wasn’t on too many experts’ mock drafts, either, thanks to his lack of size.

However, he does have skills and is a smart basketball player. If he can add some bulk to his frame, he may have a future in the NBA. He’ll have to overcome his lack of size, but that isn’t impossible to overcome.

Georges Niang Shot Chart | PointAfter

One hope for Pacers fans is he can shoot 3-pointers at the NBA level at a comparable rate as he did in college. If he can do that, it might take some of the sting away from losing Solomon Hill.

Next: Indiana Pacers Trade 20th Pick For Thaddeus Young

In a thin draft like this, Niang could be a good pick this late in the draft. He’ll have to overcome his lack of size, but that isn’t impossible to overcome. If he can take one or two of his skills from college and bring them to the NBA, he might find his way into the rotation.