What do a minivan and Georges Niang’s three-point percentage have in common? They’re both extremely reliable and efficient! Georges Niang, nicknamed the “minivan” by his teammates for his slower pace when on the floor, has emerged as a viable option off the bench for the Utah Jazz.
After losing to the Heat on December 23rd, Jazz General Manager Justin Zanik decided to release veteran forward Jeff Green. Green was not a great fit for the Jazz, as they were looking for him to provide some much-needed wing defense and floor spacing. Instead, he was an average defender and posted below-average shooting numbers (38.5 FG%).
So What’s the Solution?
With a void at the backup four position, what did Utah do? As you would suspect, Quin Snyder decided to move Georges Niang into that role. The team has went on a spectacular run since Niang was inserted into his current role, winning 10 straight before losing to the Pelicans in OT last night.
Over this 11-game span, the minivan is averaging eight points per game, and is offering much-needed floor spacing for the bench unit, as he is shooting an astonishing 48.9 percent from downtown. Although these numbers will most likely not stay this high for the duration of the season, you can’t help but notice that his shooting is a spark for this Jazz bench, which before the move was ranked towards the bottom of the NBA.
Teammates Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles have noticed his impact off the bench and haven’t hesitated to let everyone know.
https://twitter.com/rudygobert27/status/1215869181918208000
https://twitter.com/Joeingles7/status/1215872732530757632
Although it is unlikely that Niang will make an appearance in the NBA 3-point-contest, his recent success has captured the attention of the Utah Jazz and is translating into wins for them. His shooting has provided floor spacing for newly-acquired guard Jordan Clarkson to be able to operate and improve their overall bench production. If the Jazz can continue to win games and their bench is productive, look no further than Georges Niang.
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