Getty Georges Niang #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts in front of Derrick Jones Jr. #5 of the Chicago Bulls.
During the 2021 offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers made an under-the-radar move that proved to pay huge dividends for them. In an attempt to put more spacing around Joel Embiid, Daryl Morey went out and signed three-point specialist Georges Niang.
Upon arrival, the addition of Niang proved to be a huge win in the margins for the Sixers. He posted a career-high in points per game (9.2) and shot over 40% from beyond the arc for the fourth-straight season. Niang even proved to be a good complement to James Harden as the two became partners in the pick-and-pop.
The 29-year-old has proven to be a solid role player in his career, but things were not always this easy for Niang. During a recent appearance on ‘Pardon My Take,’ he opened up on the struggles for a second-round pick trying to find their footing in the NBA.
After playing just 23 games for the Indiana Pacers in 2017, Niang was cut and went to play in the G-League. It was there he did everything he could to make sure he was ready the next time an NBA team came calling.
“I kind of sacrificed everything,” said Niang. “I remember I was doing whatever anybody asked… I went vegan, I started doing this 300 shot routine before practice and lifting everyday. The biggest thing for me was just realizing that if I quit, it gave someone else an opportunity behind me to be one step closer.”
Georges Niang Hosts 7th Annual Basketball Camp
NBA players spend their offseason doing a multitude of different things, and Georges Naing decided to spend his downtime giving back to the community. The Sixers forward recently finished up his 7th annual basketball camp in Iowa. While he’s from New Hampshire, Niang went to college at Iowa State before making the jump to the NBA.
For Niang, he takes great pride in going back to a special place in his life and being able to pass along his wisdom to the next generation.
“Whenever I get a chance to come back to a place that I can call home and give my knowledge on the game of basketball, that’ something that I really look forward to,” Niang said in a recent interview. “Seeing kids that have been coming for all seven years or the past couple years, it’s just great. The growth is what really keeps me excited and keeps me wanting to come back and continue to teach the game in place that gave me so much and helped with the trajectory of my life and my career.”
Sixers Just Outside Top Five in Recent Power Rankings
Following a successful offseason, the Sixers are ready to make a run at a championship. Along with re-signing James Harden on a team-friendly deal, Daryl Morey bolstered the supporting cast by bringing in Danuel House Jr., P.J. Tucker, and De’Anthony Melton.
With the start of a fresh NBA season around the corner, the people at NBC Sports put out a power rankings list. The Sixers find themselves in the sixth spot in between the Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns.
With Tyrese Maxey ready to take another step forward, this team has all the role players needed to contend — it now falls on Joel Embiid and Harden to show they can be the two superstars on a title team. Not worried about Embiid being able to do that (if he can stay healthy), but Harden? The playoff pressure to perform will fall on him.