The Philadelphia 76ers made a savvy move in the offseason when they brought in Georges Niang on a two-year deal. The move was a bit under the radar; it’s not like Niang is going to make national headlines.
But through the first 10 games, he has been a huge part of Philadelphia’s success.
After scoring 12 points in Saturday’s road win over the Chicago Bulls, Niang is averaging 11.9 points and shooting 41% from deep off the bench. His production for the second unit has been a big help for this group and the Sixers have benefited greatly from his play.
Joel Embiid, who played against Niang in Big 12 battles in college, has been happy with his play and he likes having him on his side now.
“We go way back to the college days; I played against him,” said Embiid. “Before we got him, I used to think he sucked. He did a pretty good job in Utah just making 3s and all that stuff and, obviously, on this team, he’s asked to do way more than that. Sometimes he’s handling the ball, setting up guys, but, yeah, I used to think he sucked before.”
Embiid has been in need of guys who can stretch the floor around him as well as make plays with the ball in their hands. Niang has done both and been a big help on the defensive end. He has been a key reason Philadelphia has won six in a row and has an 8-2 record to start the season.
“What I’m impressed with is he’s a competitor,” Embiid added. “Defensively, he goes after it, he plays with so much energy, he brings so much joy to all of us on and off the court, he’s a funny guy. I’m just glad I have him.”
The Sixers return home to host the New York Knicks and start a three-game homestand.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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