Georges Niang: Utah Jazz Season In Review

Apr 16, 2020, 5:44 PM | Updated: Apr 24, 2020, 3:37 pm

Georges Niang - Utah Jazz - Chicago Bulls...

Georges Niang #31 of the Utah Jazz plays during the game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center on January 02, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

(Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

BY BEN ANDERSON, KSL SPORTS

KSL Sports

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The NBA is in a standstill as a result of the coronavirus outbreak that has sidelined professional sports across the globe. With 18 games left to play in the regular season for the Utah Jazz, and a date with the postseason on the line, it’s unclear when or if the season will return.

With game action in a holding pattern, it’s an ideal time to look at each player on the Jazz roster and how they have performed this season. Have they exceeded or failed to meet expectations, have they improved their game, remained steady, or seen a decrease in their level of play. Finally, how will they impact the team when games return, whether that’s to finish the 2019-20 season, or to begin the 2020-21 season.

The order of player evaluations will be done by jersey number, starting with the team’s lowest, and working to the team’s highest number.

Georges Niang – 31 – Forward

Stats: 5.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.6 apg: .453/.416/.864

George Niang looks to have finally found a steady home in the NBA, as he’s experienced somewhat of a breakout season with the Utah Jazz. The do it all forward had spent time with the Indiana Pacers and Golden State Warriors before finally landing on steady ground in Salt Lake City.

Niang, in his third year with the Jazz has become a rotation level player for the team averaging 13 minutes per game off the bench, while adding a solid 5.8 points per game.

Georges Niang is on 🔥🔥🔥 #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/CoCBuaz1hv

— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) January 5, 2020

Though the forward was known as a do-it-all playmaking big man at Iowa State, the former Hawkeye is almost exclusively a three-point shooting threat at the NBA level as he lacks the athleticism to brandish his full array of skills against tougher competition.

Despite the relatively narrow attack Niang offers, he’s developed into one of the NBA’s most potent three-point shooters, connecting on 41 percent of his attempts so far this season.

Not only does Niang connect on his attempts, he gets them off at a relatively high rate, averaging better than three attempts per game in just 13 minutes on the floor. As the Jazz lack a traditional stretch big, Niang fills a valuable role in the front-court for the best three-point shooting team in the NBA.

Coming into the season, Niang was expected to be the fifth big man in the rotation behind Rudy Gobert, Bojan Bogdanovic, Ed Davis, and Jeff Green. However, after Green struggled to fit into coach Quin Snyder’s system, the veteran was waived, promoting Niang to a more prominent role, yielding promising results for the Jazz.

premium in the minivan 🚙💨#TakeNote | @georgesniang20 pic.twitter.com/forKCFN1mH

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) January 19, 2020

Though Niang is best as a three-point shooter, he continues to show flashes of a dribble-drive game that allows him to attack defenses that close out too strongly on the forward, with a nifty floater game to finish near the room.

Niang is a frequent target of opposing teams on defense who look to exploit the forward’s lack of lateral quickness. Opponents will screen Niang onto a ball handler to create an advantage, making it difficult to keep the forward on the floor during crucial stretches of the game. However, with his size, Niang is an adequate defender closer to the rim, despite an inability to serve as a shot blocker.

With a salary of just $1.7 owed next season, Niang gives the Jazz high production compared to price whoever he finds himself in the rotation next season. Though the fourth-year forward has shown solid development with the team this season, upgrades may be available in the offseason at a comparable price.

Niang has been a welcome surprise for the Jazz having helped contribute to a number of wins that relied heavily on his three-point shooting. Overall, Niang has likely earned himself another few seasons in the NBA and should have a spot on most teams in the NBA if he can keep his three-point shooting above 40 percent.