Georges Niang (/ˈniːæŋ/ NEE-ang;[1] born June 17, 1993), nicknamed "The Minivan",[2] is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was an All-American college player for Iowa State University.
 Niang with Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023 | |
| No. 20 – Cleveland Cavaliers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 17, 1993 Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Tilton School (Tilton, New Hampshire) |
| College | Iowa State (2012–2016) |
| NBA draft | 2016: 2nd round, 50th overall pick |
| Selected by the Indiana Pacers | |
| Playing career | 2016–present |
| Career history | |
| 2016–2017 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2016–2017 | →Fort Wayne Mad Ants |
| 2017–2018 | Santa Cruz Warriors |
| 2018–2021 | Utah Jazz |
| 2018 | →Salt Lake City Stars |
| 2021–2023 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2023–present | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Early life
editNiang is the son of Sidy and Alison Niang. His father was born and raised in Senegal.[3] He was elected student body president at Tilton Prep.[4]
High school career
editA three-year starter and two-year team captain, Niang capped off his career as one of the greatest players in the Tilton School history, amassing a school-record 2,372 points. He was a three-time First-Team All-NEPSAC Class AA pick, Niang was the 2012 NEPSAC Class AA Player of the Year.[5] He averaged 25.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game as a senior, averaged 24.2 points and 8.2 rebounds as a junior and led his team to the 2011 NEPSAC Class AA championship with a 72–56 win over St. Mark's. He was named outstanding player of the tournament, scoring 23 points on 11-of-11 shooting from the field in the championship game. His team lost in the 2011 National Prep Championship to Notre Dame Prep (87–85), as Niang scored 31 points.[6] He played for the Boston-based BABC AAU team, the same program that featured former Cyclone and NBA player Will Blalock. His BABC squad won the 2011 Nike Peach Jam, one of the most competitive AAU tournaments in the country.[7] He was teammates at Tilton and in AAU with Nerlens Noel, they won four NEPSAC titles, one national prep championship, one AAU national championship and one Nike EYBL title in his career.
Niang was considered one of the best players on the East Coast, ending his prep career as a consensus national top-100 recruit. He was ranked No. 42 by Lindy's, No. 56 by ESPNU,[8] No. 69 by Scout.com, No. 69 by Rivals.com,[9] No. 73 by The Sporting News, and No. 81 by CBS Sports in the 2012 prep national rankings. He also had offers from Iowa, Providence, Texas A&M and Seton Hall, eventually committing to Iowa State.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georges Niang F |
Methuen, MA | Tilton School (NH) | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | May 5, 2011 | |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
| ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 6, 16 (F) ESPN: 56, 2 (NH), 14 (F) | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
edit
Niang was named to the Big 12 All-Rookie Team in his freshman year in 2013. In the second round of the 2014 NCAA tournament, Niang broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, forcing him to sit for the remainder of the event.[10] As a sophomore, he averaged 16.7 points and 4.5 rebounds as the third-most-prominent offensive weapon for Iowa State behind Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane.[11]
Niang cut back on his calorie consumption in the 2014 offseason and consequently slimmed down to 230 pounds (100 kg) from 260 pounds (120 kg).[11] As a junior, Niang led the team in scoring with 15.3 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Seeded third in the 2015 NCAA tournament, the Cyclones were upset by 14th-seeded UAB in the round of 64 despite 11 points and seven rebounds from Niang. He considered entering the 2015 NBA draft, but instead decided to return for his senior season. "I was weighing it, but I want to be loyal to the program and didn't want to go out this way," Niang said. "I didn't want to leave my mark like that."[12]
Niang surpassed the 2,000-point threshold as a senior, averaging 20.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.[13] He was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for the Naismith College Player of the Year on February 11.[14]
During his college career, Niang achieved a number of program records, including the first player to reach four straight NCAA tournaments, the first two-time All-American, the career leader in games played (138) and most wins (98).[15]
Professional career
editIndiana Pacers (2016–2017)
editOn June 23, 2016, Niang was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 50th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft.[16] He joined the team for the 2016 NBA Summer League, where his early play drew praise from Larry Bird.[17] On July 11, 2016, he signed with the Pacers.[18] During his rookie season, he had multiple assignments with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League.[19] On July 14, 2017, he was waived by the Pacers.[20]
Santa Cruz Warriors (2017–2018)
editOn August 16, 2017, Niang signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Golden State Warriors.[21] He was waived by the Warriors on October 14, 2017.[22] He subsequently joined the Santa Cruz Warriors as an affiliate player.
Utah Jazz (2018–2021)
editOn January 14, 2018, Niang signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz to take up a spot previously held by former college teammate Naz Mitrou-Long.[23] Throughout the rest of the season, he split his playing time between the Jazz and their NBA G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.
On July 13, 2018, Niang signed a standard contract with the Jazz.[24]
Niang scored a then-career-high 24 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 10, 2019. He also notched a 24-point game against the Houston Rockets on May 8, 2021.[25]
Philadelphia 76ers (2021–2023)
edit
On August 9, 2021, Niang signed a two-year, $6.7 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.[26][27]
Cleveland Cavaliers (2023–present)
editOn July 6, 2023, Niang signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers.[28] On January 17, 2024, Niang scored a new career high of 33 points against the Milwaukee Bucks, making 13 of his 14 shots attempts.[29] In 2023 Niang played 82 games averaging 9.4 points per game.[30]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
NBA
editRegular season
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Indiana | 23 | 0 | 4.0 | .250 | .083 | 1.000 | .7 | .2 | .1 | .0 | .9 |
| 2017–18 | Utah | 9 | 0 | 3.5 | .364 | .000 | .500 | 1.0 | .3 | .2 | .0 | 1.0 |
| 2018–19 | Utah | 59 | 0 | 8.8 | .475 | .410 | .833 | 1.5 | .6 | .2 | .1 | 4.0 |
| 2019–20 | Utah | 66 | 1 | 14.0 | .438 | .400 | .833 | 1.9 | .7 | .3 | .1 | 5.9 |
| 2020–21 | Utah | 72* | 10 | 16.0 | .437 | .425 | .957 | 2.4 | .8 | .3 | .1 | 6.9 |
| 2021–22 | Philadelphia | 76 | 7 | 22.8 | .437 | .403 | .881 | 2.7 | 1.3 | .4 | .2 | 9.2 |
| 2022–23 | Philadelphia | 78 | 1 | 19.4 | .442 | .401 | .867 | 2.4 | 1.0 | .4 | .2 | 8.2 |
| 2023–24 | Cleveland | 82 | 10 | 22.3 | .449 | .376 | .850 | 3.4 | 1.2 | .4 | .2 | 9.4 |
| Career | 465 | 29 | 16.8 | .441 | .397 | .866 | 2.3 | .9 | .3 | .1 | 7.0 | |
Playoffs
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Utah | 5 | 0 | 11.0 | .409 | .308 | — | 2.8 | 1.0 | .2 | .2 | 4.4 |
| 2020 | Utah | 7 | 0 | 16.3 | .500 | .414 | 1.000 | 2.1 | .6 | .0 | .1 | 8.3 |
| 2021 | Utah | 11 | 0 | 11.7 | .282 | .300 | 1.000 | 1.7 | .7 | .0 | .1 | 3.2 |
| 2022 | Philadelphia | 12 | 0 | 16.5 | .417 | .372 | 1.000 | 1.5 | .9 | .3 | .0 | 4.8 |
| 2023 | Philadelphia | 11 | 0 | 14.3 | .500 | .462 | — | .4 | .2 | .0 | .2 | 4.4 |
| 2024 | Cleveland | 10 | 0 | 12.1 | .220 | .130 | .875 | 1.2 | .4 | .4 | .2 | 2.8 |
| Career | 56 | 0 | 13.8 | .387 | .341 | .938 | 1.5 | .6 | .1 | .1 | 4.4 | |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Iowa State | 35 | 23 | 25.1 | .515 | .392 | .700 | 4.6 | 1.8 | .7 | .2 | 12.1 |
| 2013–14 | Iowa State | 34 | 34 | 30.1 | .474 | .327 | .721 | 4.5 | 3.6 | .6 | .6 | 16.7 |
| 2014–15 | Iowa State | 34 | 34 | 30.7 | .461 | .400 | .808 | 5.4 | 3.4 | .5 | .5 | 15.3 |
| 2015–16 | Iowa State | 34 | 34 | 33.2 | .546 | .390 | .813 | 6.2 | 3.3 | .9 | .6 | 20.2 |
| Career | 121 | 109 | 29.2 | .490 | .375 | .762 | 5.1 | 3.0 | .6 | .5 | 15.4 | |
References
edit- ^ "2023-24 start of season NBA pronunciation guide" (Press release). National Basketball Association. October 24, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ Jones, Tony (December 25, 2022). "Now with the 76ers, Georges 'The Minivan' Niang is rolling up to Utah, the place that gave him his NBA start". The Athletic. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ "Niang veut jouer pour le Sénégal". FIBA.com (in French). March 23, 2017. Archived from the original on August 23, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
- ^ "Georges Niang - Men's Basketball". Iowa State University Athletics. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ "2011 - 2012 NEPSAC Boys' Basketball All-New England Selections". NEPSAC.org. Retrieved July 30, 2014.[dead link]
- ^ Finkelstein, Adam (March 10, 2011). "National Prep Championship recap". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ Powers, Ian (July 19, 2011). "2011 Nike Peach Jam: Top Prospects". NBADraft.net. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ "Georges Niang recruiting profile". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ "Georges Niang profile". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ "Georges Niang Bio". Cyclones.com. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ a b Forgrave, Reid (October 17, 2014). "Gorgeous Georges? Iowa State's Niang will look a lot different this season". Fox Sports. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ "Iowa State's Georges Niang says he's returning next season". Sports Illustrated. March 30, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ "Men's Basketball: Niang overtakes Hoiberg, hits 2,000-point mark". Amestrib.com. February 17, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- ^ Payne, Terrence (February 11, 2016). "Naismith Trophy midseason list announced". Fox Sports. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ Montz, Dylan (March 16, 2016). "Georges Niang era at Iowa State produced numerous milestones". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids).
- ^ Taylor, Nate (June 24, 2016). "Pacers select Georges Niang in 2nd round of NBA draft". IndyStar.com. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- ^ "NBA Summer League; Niang earns praise from Bird". EagleTribune.com. July 5, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ^ "Georges Niang Signs with Pacers". NBA.com. July 11, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ "2016-17 NBA Assignments". NBA.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- ^ "Pacers Waive Georges Niang". NBA.com. July 14, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
- ^ Chiari, Mike (August 16, 2017). "Georges Niang Reportedly Signs Warriors Contract, Will 'Likely' Play in G-League". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ Letourneau, Connor (October 13, 2017). "Warriors waive Michael Gbinije, Georges Niang". SFGate. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "Jazz Sign Georges Niang to Two-Way Contract". NBA. January 14, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "Jazz Sign Forward Georges Niang". NBA.com. July 13, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
- ^ Falk, Aaron (May 8, 2021). "Georges Niang ties career high as the Utah Jazz handle the Houston Rockets". NBA.com. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
- ^ Seltzer, Brian (August 9, 2021). "76ers Sign Georges Niang". NBA.com. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ Levick, Noah (August 3, 2021). "Source: Power forward Niang agrees to 2-year deal with Sixers". NBC Sports Philadelphia. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ "Cavaliers Sign Georges Niang and Ty Jerome". NBA.com. July 6, 2023.
- ^ "Georges Niang near perfect, Cavs offense lights up Rocket Mortage FieldHouse in 135-95 win over Bucks". News 5 Cleveland WEWS. January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ "Georges Niang | Cleveland Cavaliers". NBA.com. Retrieved April 22, 2024.