Sixers Get Affordable Shooting and Spacing with Georges Niang
The Sixers added Georges Niang in free agency, bringing the 6’7″ power forward to Philadelphia on a two-year deal worth $6.7 million. That’s according to his agents at Priority Sports.
It’s a nice and affordable deal for the Sixers, who needed depth at the four last season and just didn’t have it, with Mike Scott looking more or less shot at times. They got small quickly after Tobias Harris left the floor, and both Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey noted after the playoff exit that the team really needed another option to stretch the floor at the four or five.
Niang will do that. He played 16 minutes per game for the Jazz in 2021 but took more than four three point attempts per, hitting at 42.5%. He’ll grab a few rebounds off the bench but his game is mostly about spacing the floor and bombing catch-and-shoot three pointers, with the occasional floater in the paint or drive to the rim when attacking a close out.
Here’s his shot plot from a year ago:
Really nice. No midrange junk. That’s a shot chart the analytics guys will like, and Utah was one of the best teams in the league at adhering to the analytics and shooting three pointers and higher-percentage stuff around the rim. Quality looks only.
Niang isn’t Bruce Bowen on defense, but the hope here is that he can body up with opposing fours where necessary. There were times last year where the Sixers didn’t have any bulk at power forward, and they shot themselves in the foot offensively with Ben Simmons on the floor at the same time with Dwight Howard, so you had instances where Matisse Thybulle and others were defending opposing fours. It got pretty funky at times.
But Niang fills a key offensive need and they got him on a cheap deal. Good signing.