Getty James Harden #1 and Georges Niang #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers react during the fourth quarter against the LA Clippers at Wells Fargo Center on December 23, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The slew of injuries that clouded the Philadelphia 76ers throughout the start of the season has gradually come to a halt. With the full roster coming back together, the picture is beginning to be painted for what to make of the team. Included in this is guys seeing their roles more defined as they look to maximize the team’s stars. James Harden gave some props to Georges Niang following the recent win over the Pelicans and an indication of his expectations moving forward. As Harden put it, “If he’s not shooting the ball, he shouldn’t be in the game. I said, ‘Shoot the ball.’ Tonight, he did a really good job of that. He’s our sharpshooter,” per Justin Grasso of Sports Illustrated.
While this may come a bit as a backhanded compliment, Harden’s point is clear. Niang’s quick release and willing shooting have made him a terrific fit on this Sixers team. After being signed to a two-year deal with $6.8 million before last season, Niang has flourished with the expanded opportunity in Philadelphia.
Niang’s Level of Play
Throughout the first 34 games this season, Niang has averaged 9.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in his 20.4 minutes per game. Most notably, he is connecting on 40.7% of his three-pointers while attempting 5.7 long-range shots per game.
Before coming to the Sixers, the Iowa State product had never played more than 16 minutes per game. He has gotten 20 or more in both seasons with Philadelphia and become a real weapon within the offense with the expanded opportunity.
When looking at the per 36 minutes stats, Niang leads the Sixers in attempts by a major margin. His 10.1 three-point attempts per 36 minutes are the most by a comfortable margin. De’Anthony Melton ranks next with 7.4 attempts per 36 minutes. Keeping this level of efficiency on a high volume makes it especially impressive. His quick release and unwavering confidence make it possible to get attempts off quicker, and the Sixers have done a nice job using him off movement of late.
Georges Niang’s catch and shoot >
Niang’s Fit With Sixers Stars
Spacing the floor has always been the name of the game for optimizing Joel Embiid. Surrounding him with shooters is the best way to do this and Niang is effective in this role. The former second-round pick has benefitted from Embiid’s gravity and in the 302:18 of game minutes they have shared the floor, the Sixers are outscoring opponents by 14.8 points per 100 possessions.
Niang also has displayed notable chemistry with Harden as well. The duo has been effective in running two-man sets in which Niang sets a screen and forces defenders to make a decision. As Niang put it following the Christmas Day victory over the Knicks in which he knocked down four three-pointers, “They were putting two on James and that’s kind of where me and James have that two-man game that really, you know, flourishes. James found me, James does an incredible job of hitting me on the hands and making those passes and my job is to shoot the ball and I wasn’t gonna stop doing that.”
“I mean, I don’t know why they were playing in a drop coverage. I probably haven’t seen that since college maybe”
— Georges Niang (all four of his threes in the fourth quarter) on the Knicks
The numbers match the eye test as in the 214:39 game minutes that Niang has shared the floor with Harden, the Sixers are outscoring opponents by 19.2 points per 100 possessions. They also are attempting 8.0 more three-pointers than opponents per 100 possessions during these minutes.
While the self-proclaimed ‘Minivan’ is not without his limitations, he is an important part of this Sixers team. His elite shooting and energy-raising trash talk have made him a popular man amongst Sixers fans very quickly and Niang has answered the call and hit some big shots during his tenure. With his role as the sharpshooter defined, it is now up to the fan-favorite to continue producing at a high level.