Pacers Player Review: A Tough Learning Curve for Georges Niang

The next installment of our season in review looks at rookie 2nd Round Pick Georges Niang, who split time between the Indiana Pacers and the NBDL’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

George Niang was a lightly regarded 2nd round pick out of Iowa State by the Indiana Pacers. His physique was, well, we’ll say “soft” in his first few years of college. He lost the weight and has kept it off, rewarding the Pacers for their faith in him.

Niang has yet to show much at the NBA level, other than the fact that he can get into vaguely NBA shape. He only played 93 minutes with the Pacers, and didn’t do much in those minutes. He did have a successful stint in the D-League, averaging 19 points and 7 rebounds while shooting about 45 percent from the field over the 6 games he played with the Mad Ants.

Significant Digits

19.4% of his shots were blocked

Niang only attempted 36 shots with the Pacers last year but had 7 of them blocked. While an extremely small sample size, it lines up with one of the general fears with Niang.

He lacks foot speed, explosion, or much jumping ability. He could absolutely develop into a reliable shooter and passer, but there’s been little indication he has the necessary athleticism to evolve much beyond a Damo Rudez type sniper, and he only shot 30.3 percent from 3 in the D-League.

Niang has already proven he can surprise when it comes to physicals, and it’s possible he can get a bit quicker and faster. It will be a difficult journey, but Niang has proven he can work hard.

Georges Niang’s Season Summed up in One Archer GIF

If you followed the Indiana Pacers, you needed a sense of humor. Laugh so you don’t cry. And what’s funnier than Archer? Nothing. Nothing is the answer.

Sweatin’ Bullets

Sweatin’ Bullets is an 8p9s tradition started by Jonny Auping in which we offer standalone facts, observations, and commentary, often devoid of context or fairness.

• Niang only played 93 minutes with the Pacers, making it very difficult to begin to measure his ability and impact with the NBA.
• He scored relatively efficiently in Fort Wayne and put up big numbers, but he still had a net rating of -5 with the Mad Ants.
•  The hope seems to be that Niang can be a stretch 4 off the bench. The Pacers were in desperate need of one of those last year, but Niang never sniffed the rotation as the Pacers went with traditional 4’s.

One Key Question

Can Georges Niang make up for his lack of athleticism in other areas? 

The Situation: Plenty of players have survived in the NBA with below average athleticism, getting by on guile and plus shooting often times. Niang has shown little of either of those thus far, but is only entering his 2nd year in the league.

Best-case Scenario: Niang becomes an excellent defender in the team concept, sliding his feet and making crisp rotations. On offense, he becomes a jack of all trades, knocking down 3’s and whipping smart passes when he doesn’t have the open look.

Worst-case Scenario: Georges Niang becomes a household name for the residents of Fort Wayne, and lives as a crowd favorite there while taking the bus trip down I-69 less and less often.

Next: Paul George Left Off All-NBA teams

Prediction: He gets a real rotation shot next year, albeit with a short leash. It seems likely the NBA is just too fast and powerful for him, but if he can knock down 3’s, there might be a place in the league for him.