Utah Jazz: Top 5 Players from the Jazz Summer League
By John Keeffer
Georges Niang
Utah Summer League Stats: 3 GP, 16.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.3 APG
Vegas Summer League Stats: 5 GP, 15.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3 APG
Georges Niang was one of the few Jazz players to play in every one of the team’s Summer League games, and he didn’t disappoint in any one of them. After averaging 16 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game during the Summer League, Niang proved to be the best player on the Jazz roster.
Many have speculated that the promising play of Niang may have been one of the reasons the Jazz chose not to retain Jonas Jerebko.
While playing in the G-League last season, Niang averaged 22 points, while shooting 53 percent from three on five attempts per game. Those are extremely impressive numbers and helped in his selection to the 2017-18 All-NBA G-League Team.
During the Summer League, he helped prove that said recognition was no fluke. In the eight games he played, he only failed to score over 15 points twice, scoring 12 in both contests. He also continued to shoot the three-ball well, making two or more threes in all but one game. He shot 15-of-38 from three overall, good for 39.5 percent during the Summer League.
Throughout this Summer League, he has routinely looked like the best player on the court for either team. He showed off his ability to score in a variety of ways. Whether from behind the arc, in the post, off the dribble or off the ball, Niang will find a way to score.
Next: Utah Jazz ’18-19 Best/Worst Case Scenario Series: Royce O’Neale
That is something the Jazz are going to definitely want to utilize next season, and is why they were willing to offer him a three-year contract to officially be on the Utah Jazz roster heading into next season.