Utah Jazz Best/Worst Case Series: Georges Niang, diamond in the rough

It won’t be an easy path, but Georges Niang has the chance to rise from a relative unknown to an impact player for the Utah Jazz in 2018-19.

Prior to the start of last season, perhaps one of the biggest surprises regarding the Utah Jazz roster was that undrafted rookie Royce O’Neale qualified for the final 15-man roster. Considering that prior to that he was a relative unknown and that the Jazz seemed pretty high on their former second-round draft pick Joel Bolomboy, most assumed that Royce would ultimately fall short. Instead, he not only made the team, but thrived in his new role.

Utah’s 2018-19 roster has yet to be officially finalized, and won’t be until well into preseason. However, all signs indicate that Georges Niang qualifying for the 15-man roster is essentially a done deal. Considering that he was merely on a two-way contract with the Jazz this past season and spent pretty much all his time in the G-League, you could certainly predict that he’s set to be Utah’s surprise player this season.

But Niang has undoubtedly proven worthy of such a reward for his hard work and drastic improvement while playing with both the Santa Cruz Warriors and Salt Lake City Stars. He’s a versatile scoring threat and a relentless hustler that most definitely has set himself apart as an NBA-caliber player.

If he can now follow a similar trajectory as Royce O’Neale and become Utah’s next diamond in the rough, he may very well not be just a fortunate 15th man that rides the bench, but actually see meaningful time and make an important impact on this Jazz team in 2018-19.

Best Case Scenario

A mere few months ago, Niang’s best case scenario would have been securing a contract with the Jazz and simply making the team. Since he looked so good in Summer League and received that aforementioned contract this summer, though, his ceiling has certainly risen. Now it’s not unreasonable to expect Niang to actually find playing time with this Jazz squad.

In a best case scenario, Niang will find a way to crack into Utah’s rotation, just like O’Neale did last year. Royce was slightly aided by injuries to the likes of Dante Exum, Ricky Rubio and to some extent Thabo Sefolosha who logged time at the three just as O’Neale would on occasion, and it’s entirely possible that for Georges to get his chance, he’ll need someone on the depth chart ahead of him to go down as well.

Obviously, that’s not something that the Jazz or us fans want at all, so we won’t wish for it. Even if it doesn’t occur, though, I still think it’s feasible for Niang to get a chance to make his mark. He proved himself in Summer League as a capable playmaking four with the ability to not only knock down the long ball with ease, but also to create his own shot off the dribble.

That’s precisely the kind of player Utah has needed in several occasions, and while Niang is far from experienced at the NBA level, he could be groomed to fit that bill well. At times when the Jazz need to stretch the floor more than they can with mediocre 3-point shooters Thabo Sefolosha or Jae Crowder, they may feel it wise to go with a guy like Niang who has proven to be a real threat from the perimeter.

Not only that, but it’s entirely possible that Niang could take over a role similar to the one that Jonas Jerebko played last year. Jerebko suited up in almost every game for the Jazz (74 of 82) and averaged just over 15 minutes per contest. While his playing time was rather inconsistent, that is still production that will need to be replaced.

Crowder and Sefolosha will likely cover the majority of that responsibility, but Niang could very well be needed as well to fill a void. In short, Niang’s best case scenario is that he finds himself earning playing time on at least a somewhat consistent basis, working his way into the second unit rotation as an important reserve for the Utah Jazz who proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he belongs in the NBA.

Worst Case Scenario

The fact that Georges Niang earned himself a contract with the Utah Jazz means he should be elated about the season ahead regardless of how things ultimately pan out. His NBA career was in question mere months ago, so the fact that he’s risen from that to these newfound heights is a big accomplishment.

Still, he should also remain hungry for more, which I believe will be one hundred percent the case. Niang shouldn’t and won’t settle for just making the team, he’ll likely instead pursue making his best case scenario a reality.

But if he’s unable to do so, he’ll likely find himself little more than the 15th name on the Jazz roster, watching nearly all the games from the bench and seldom finding any playing time save in garbage time. Having a determined worker and a high-IQ player like Niang around will be good for the Jazz in and of itself, but for him personally, his worst case scenario would have him see little to no playing time at all.

I suppose if such ended up being the case, Niang could be in danger of becoming completely expendable, and the Jazz may look to move on from him sooner rather than later be it through a trade or by waiving him. That would be the worst of worst case scenarios. However, considering that Utah showed their faith in him by inking him to a multi-year contract, I have a hard time seeing such being the case.

Though Niang’s floor would likely see him be little more than a garbage time player, the Jazz clearly have confidence that he can become much more than that. While the odds are certainly stacked against him as he finds himself on a deep and talented Utah Jazz roster, I like his chances of surprising fans and the team alike, and surging up nearer to his best case scenario potential that I’ve described here.