When Atlanta acquired Georges Niang at the February trade deadline, not many Hawks fans expected him to break out in the second half of the season – but he did exactly that.
Niang, now 31 years old and coming off of Year 9 in the NBA, averaged double-digit points for the first time in his career with 12.1 points per game as a Hawk. And he did it almost exclusively off the bench.
Niang started in just two of his 28 regular-season games with Atlanta, averaging 23.0 minutes as a second-unit staple while knocking down a career-high 2.7 threes per game. He also averaged career-highs in assists (1.6) and blocks (0.3). The Minivan shot 41.3% from beyond the arc for the Hawks, and he proved his worth in Atlanta’s play-in tournament loss to the Miami Heat with a 20-point explosion off the bench.
During Atlanta’s season-ending loss, Niang notched a +6 plus-minus in less than 26 minutes of action. He also chipped in four assists and a pair of steals, as well as two offensive rebounds. In the end, the Hawks couldn’t capitalize on Niang’s excellent performance.
There is no telling what kind of production Niang could have given Atlanta in a potential first-round series against the Cavaliers. Niang came to Atlanta from Cleveland in February when the Cavs traded him and Caris LeVert for De’Andre Hunter. Niang’s motivaiton could have been at an all-time high in a matchup against his former team.
Georges Niang was a top-25 3-point shooter this season
Niang’s 3-point percentage with the Hawks was good for No. 23 in the NBA. He connected on a ridiculous 43.8% of his deep attempts in March, helping Atlanta to a 9-5 record that month.
The veteran sharpshooter also built great chemistry with his younger Hawks counterparts in a relatively short amount of time. Atlanta ranked second in team assists this season with 29.6 dimes per game, and Niang was able to plug into the ‘everybody eats’ offense almost immediately. Just as he has done for so many teammates over the years, Trae Young helped Niang elevate his production to a level he had never before reached.
In late February, Niang acknowledged his new teammates for making his transition to the Hawks easier while addressing that his fit with Atlanta would still take time to cement itself. He spoke to Malik Brown of ClutchPoints about building his chemistry with the Hawks.
“I think these things take time,” Niang said. “This whole process isn’t going to be lightning in a bottle. I gotta give my teammates a ton of credit. Without them finding me and kicking the ball out, I wouldn’t be able to get the shots or looks that I get.”
Niang also displayed strong chemistry with his teammates off the court. He even lobbied for Zaccharie Risacher as Rookie of the Year during the final stretch of the regular season. Niang gave a memorable quote on Zacch Attack in a March 22 press conference: “If that guy isn’t Rookie of the Year … NBA, what are we doing?”
Over his nine years in the NBA, Niang has played 600 total games between the regular season and the playoffs. He has spent .047% of his career with the Hawks. Even so, Niang notched four of the top-ten scoring nights of his career (and two of the top five) after joining Atlanta at the deadline.
Niang will look to build on his breakout season with the Hawks as he enters a contract year in the 2025-26 campaign.