Georges Niang and his shooting numbers through the first half of the season showed Jazz fans flashes of the second-rounder’s potential. He’s putting up career numbers and becoming a reliable role player for the Utah Jazz.
The Utah Jazz have made it to the midway point. Through the first 41 games, the Jazz marched to a 28-13 record, with some thanks to the surprising, but superb play of Georges Niang. To grade Georges’ season so far, I’ve created a simple, four-part scoring system where each section hands out a value out of 25 points, totaling 100, and providing a final grade.
The four sections are Offense, Defense, Has he improved since last season?, and Is the team better with him on the floor?
Offense
Niang’s greatest impact has come on the offensive side of the ball and his ability to shoot the three. Playing the majority of the season at power forward, his long-ball success allows the Jazz to spread the court, creating space for their active offense to succeed. In his 13.2 minutes off the bench, Niang averaged 2.9 three-point attempts a game, although that number jumped to 4.4 after Jeff Green was waived by the team.
Niang shot 43.6 percent from three, which was good for second on the team behind Royce O’Neale. Through 41 games, Niang averaged a career-high 5.3 points while shooting an effective field goal percentage of 61.0, fourth-best the season for the Jazz. His offensive impact, especially from three, is flourishing. (23/25)
Defense
As much as Niang’s play at the four-spot has been a positive for Utah’s offense, the position leaves him guarding bigger, taller forwards, which has been a tough assignment so far. He also is a common victim of a forced defensive switch, having to guard quicker, light-footed guards, who frequently get past him, leading to a score, a foul, or both.
In the 462 minutes he played during the first half of the season, Niang committed 25 shooting fouls. That’s a foul every 18 minutes. For reference, fellow Jazzman Bojan Bogdanovic committed the same number of fouls in 1335 minutes, which is an average of one foul every 53 minutes. Niang’s tendency to give opponents two free throws during his limited time on the floor per game is uninspiring, but his offensive upside is enough to keep him on the court. (19/25)
Has Niang improved since last season?
Definitely. So far, Georges Niang is averaging career-bests in minutes, points, shot-makes, shot-attempts and assists per game. He’s making the most of the opportunity Coach Snyder is giving him. Over his three years in Utah, Niang has consistently become better as his role and responsibilities grow. (23/25)
Are the Jazz better with Niang on the floor?
Niang posted a -2.7 plus/minus in the 41 games of the season. His below-average defense can be too much of a detriment to the team unless he can catch fire from three, which did happen frequently. Niang’s worth is a game-to-game revelation, which has contests ending either in public frustration or fanfare for Niang. His on-floor temperature is ever fluctuating, but when he’s hot, he’s hot. (19/25)
Final grade
Overall, Niang is a suitable plug-and-play for the Jazz’s stretch-four position. His ability to space the floor and hit the long-ball anywhere around the arc make him a must-guard for opposing teams. He can be too-easily be beaten on defense, but if he doesn’t send shooters to the free throw line and hits open shots of his own, Niang’s proven he can be a valuable asset off the bench for Utah. (84/100) B