The Sixers are benefitting from a breakout year by one of their free-agent signings. We are now witnessing the reign of King Georges of Niang.
Georges Niang made his second consecutive start for the Sixers against the Portland Trailblazers. While the outcome of the game wasn’t what we had been hoping for, Niang still played an efficient 35 minutes in the starting group, shooting 6/11 from the field (54.5%) and 3/6 from beyond the arc (50.0%). Niang also contributed 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block in his second start of the year.
In his first start, against the Denver Nuggets, Niang played another efficient bunch of 35 minutes, scoring 11 points on 4/8 shooting from the field and 3/6 shooting from three. He also contributed 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block in the blowout win over the Nuggets.
Since joining the starting lineup, he has been tied for the second-highest minutes total on the team. This is both a reflection of how short-handed the Sixers are currently and a reflection of the trust that the coaching staff has put in Georges Niang so early in the season.
The trust that Niang has built up this year is mostly from the early consistency that he has shown in the early stages of his 76ers career. On the season, Minivan is averaging 11.8 points per game on 44.9% from the field, 40.6% from beyond the arc, and 90.9% from the line. His consistency, especially from deep, has cemented him in both the rotation and in the hearts of many Sixers fans, especially after being forced to watch Mike Scott start 12 games last year in which he shot a measly 31.7% from the field and 31.6% from three as a starter.
Coming in as the replacement for Mike Scott has been nothing short of a godsend this year. Mike Scott was a cool player for the Sixers, and fans should be extremely thankful for his role on the Sixers over his time here, but he was at the end of his career.
In his final season as a Sixer, he contributed 4.2 points per game, 0.8 assists per game, and 2.4 rebounds per game. His shooting splits were dreadful as well, shooting just 36.0% from the field, 34.2% from three, and 66.7% from the line. Niang has surpassed each and every one of those stats and cemented himself as a key piece of this Sixers. Niang also was an extremely cheap piece to add, coming to Philly under a two-year deal worth only 6.7 million dollars.
King Georges has been a key factor in the Sixers’ offense this season, and his consistency from all three levels has been a blessing for the Sixers and for Sixers fans this season.
