Philadelphia 76ers: Give more minutes to Georges Niang at small forward

In a weird twist of fate that felt borderline unimaginable a few years back, the Philadelphia 76ers are a team lacking in size.

I know, crazy, right? After years of running a 6-foot-10 passer at the point and that weird season where Josh Richardson, Al Horford, and his sister called the City of Brotherly Love home, the Sixers’ roster is largely devoid of size at vertically every position save center, and their rebounding had suffered as a result.

Sure, Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond, Tobias Harris, and Paul Reed – when he’s actually in the rotation – can attack the boards and switch on and off of various frontcourt positions, but that quartet can only get you so far, especially when Danny Green and Matisse Thybulle play the vast majority of the minutes at small forward.

Eventually, the Sixers are going to face off against a team with a big frontcourt like the Boston Celtics, who will be able to consistently seek out size mismatches. When that day comes, even Doc Rivers will have to look himself in the mirror, look at his lineups, and wish he could go big when need be.

Fortunately, there’s a solution already on the roster that’s at least worth a try: give Georges Niang some run with the starters at small forward.

The Philadelphia 76ers should work a big lineup into their regular rotation.

When the Philadelphia 76ers signed Georges Niang, it was with the intention of being a do-it-all utility frontcourt player.

Measuring in at 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, Niang is probably best suited to play power forward, as he doesn’t quite have the same foot speed to keep up with, say, Miles Bridges or Brandon Ingram in ISO situations all game from the three, but in a pinch, or when the situation dictates it, Niang can certainly play up or down a position when need be, even if he’s really not much of a running protector.

When asked about his potential role with the Sixers, Niang shared a very similar sentiment, suggesting that his role is to space the floor for Joel Embiid, take away space, and guard multiple positions depending on the situation.

So why, dare I ask, has Niang played 75 percent of his 525 snaps at the power forward spot as a direct replacement to Tobias Harris?  Why has the duo only shared the court for 116 minutes so far this season, with ranks 36th among two-man combinations?

I’m not quite sure, but it really shouldn’t be.

Offensively, Harris and Niang are relatively complementary.  They both can shoot 3s either off the dribble or via catch-and-shoot, switch onto either forward spot, and space the floor for would-be drivers. While Harris still has a tendency to pass up open 3s for a harder contested shot in the midrange, having a player like Niang on the wing to serve as an outlet pass could turn that liability into an asset.

And defensively? Well, what the duo lack in natural talent they make up for with being at least 6-foot-7, which is valuable too, especially when paired up with defensive minded players like Danny Green, Matisse Thybulle, Joel Embiid, and/or Andre Drummond.

If Doc Rivers trotted out a lineup featuring Tyrese Maxey at the one, Green at the two, Niang and Harris at the forward spots, and Embiid in the paint, it would maintain the Sixers’ usual spacing, as all three of those wing players can really shoot it, but provide some added size that goes away when Seth Curry is at the two.

Fun fact: those five players have yet to take the court at the same time so far this season. Between you and me, I think that should change.

The regular season is a time for experimentation in the NBA. Sure, you want to win games, a lot of them if possible, but every team will surrender a few minutes here or there to try out a potential lineup combination, even if it ultimately proves not quite ready for prime time. The Philadelphia 76ers have tried Georges Niang at the five, and unfortunately, that didn’t quite work. Why not commit some minutes to an augmented starting five with Niang starting at the three and Danny Green kicked inside to his natural shooting guard spot? Worst case, it stinks. Best case? The Sixers have a big lineup to deploy against the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors.