Georges Niang is a Good Defensive Player?

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Watching Georges Niang stonewall Desmond Bane into a TO while he isolated him I cam to a realization, Georges Niang is good at defense. Not just average, but actually good. I checked his Basketball Reference page today, the dude is now a positive 0.1 DBPM. Truly incredible. His defense has certainly passed the eye test this year.

But it isnt only crisp rotations and smart defense, the dude also ranks in the 95th percentile for isolation defense.

Per minute Niang gets iso'd more than any other Jazz player and he (per NBA.com) :

• allows 24% FG percentage
• Forces a TO 18% of the time
• Only sends a player to the line on 5% of isolation attempts

I was pretty all-in on upgrading Niang, but maybe I was wrong. I know we all want OPJR in Niang's minutes, but maybe Niang is actually better than OPJR this year?

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Sometimes defense is about taking up space, and Georges has some size. He moves his feet very well, anticipates well, and moves efficiently. Maybe something he's picking up a bit from Joe Ingles. He also almost never goes for fakes because he's pretty much too slow to.

 

[Hekate]

Yes, it has been a sudden realization. I used to rate his defense in relation to the other players on the court but he has been legit on his own. Such smart crisp rotations and he is barely out of position. Not many players can lower his shoulder and move him out of the way either.

He should get paid this off-season.

 

[idiot]

I know we all want OPJR in Niang's minutes, but maybe Niang is actually better than OPJR this year?

This.

I think the only counter to this is that maybe OPJ is James Hardening it this year until he gets with a good team and magically turns into 23-year old OPJ.

 

[whatthe]

The defense improves when he is on the court. He is probably the 5th best defender on the team. He is going to get a contract from another team this summer to start.

 

[infection]

Every year in the playoffs someone comes out of nowhere and gets recognized for their defense. Tyronne Lue on AI. Raja Bell in the finals. Lu Dort last year. Exum as the Harden stopper in our minds. This year Niang is going to be tearing up Kawhi, LeBron, and Durant.

 

[hgb]

I've been in the (probably pretty small) "I wouldn't swap Georges for Blake Griffin" camp after seeing the Jazz demolish Blake in the first meeting this season. I really like what I see.

 

[infection]

I've been in the (probably pretty small) "I wouldn't swap Georges for Blake Griffin" camp after seeing the Jazz demolish Blake in the first meeting this season. I really like what I see.

I'm not sure that's a small camp. I think there are only a couple people here who said they'd take Blake.

 

[hgb]

I'm not sure that's a small camp. I think there are only a couple people here who said they'd take Blake.

Maybe not that small around here. I took some ridicule in my Norwegian non-Jazz basketball quarters.

 

[jom2003]

Niang is now a good team defender who fits our defensive scheme perfectly with his minivan body. He is bulkier than most players in his position which allows him to stonewall those guys when he gets up close. His one major weakness on D is his lateral speed but the presence of Rudy simply allows him to close in on his opponent without the worry of getting blown by. It's almost if he is made perfectly for our funneling to the big system. He may get a bigger offer from somewhere else in the summer, but it'd be smart for him to stay.

 

[whatthe]

Niang is now a good team defender who fits our defensive scheme perfectly with his minivan body. He is bulkier than most players in his position which allows him to stonewall those guys when he gets up close. His one major weakness on D is his lateral speed but the presence of Rudy simply allows him to close in on his opponent without the worry of getting blown by. It's almost if he is made perfectly for our funneling to the big system. He may get a bigger offer from somewhere else in the summer, but it'd be smart for him to stay.

He has stopped Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Ja Morant a few times this season. I made notice of it in the game threads. His perimeter D is a strength too especially if he is ISO'd as the stats show.

 

[Ellipse]

Every year in the playoffs someone comes out of nowhere and gets recognized for their defense. Tyronne Lue on AI. Raja Bell in the finals. Lu Dort last year. Exum as the Harden stopper in our minds. This year Niang is going to be tearing up Kawhi, LeBron, and Durant.

Niang's defense has improved a lot, but these guys are not tissue paper.