Georges Niang
SF, Iowa State · 2016 NBA Draft, 2nd round, pick #50 (IND)
Why he was overlooked Patterns
Signals in our data that pointed to him being undervalued: length. Details below.
- Length
Wingspan 6' 10" at 6' 9" tall (+1.0 in.), per ESPN's draft profile.
Since 2000, picks in this group beat their draft slot 56.2% of the time (73 players, 2000–2021 classes) vs. 50% for a typical pick.
- Pre-draft rankings
ESPN's pre-draft board ranked him #67 (#16 at his position); he went #50, 17 spots earlier. So teams were actually higher on him than the media board was; everyone underrated him.
Since 2000, picks in this group beat their draft slot 33.8% of the time (272 players, 2000–2021 classes) vs. 50% for a typical pick.
- Age
23.0 years old on draft night (born 1993-06-17).
Since 2000, picks in this group beat their draft slot 48.6% of the time (138 players, 2000–2021 classes) vs. 50% for a typical pick.
- Path to the draft
Played college basketball at Iowa State.
Since 2000, picks in this group beat their draft slot 53.2% of the time (1,015 players, 2000–2021 classes) vs. 50% for a typical pick.
- Position
SF (ESPN draft listing).
Since 2000, picks in this group beat their draft slot 51.2% of the time (570 players, 2000–2021 classes) vs. 50% for a typical pick.
- Availability
Played 550 games over 10 NBA seasons (~67% of a full 82-game schedule each year).
Every line comes from data: Basketball-Reference career data; ESPN's draft profile; Wikidata birth dates. No scouting reports or quotes. Green = pointed toward a steal for him.
Career numberslive
| Seasons | 10 |
| Games | 550 |
| Minutes / game | 17.5 |
| Points / game | 7.4 |
| Rebounds / game | 2.5 |
| Assists / game | 1.0 |
| Win Shares (career) | 15.8 |
| VORP | 0.4 |
| Box Plus/Minus | -1.8 |
| 2026-27 so far | 3 GP, 5 PPG (ESPN) |
Career Win Shares + VORP (Basketball-Reference, through 2025-26) + 2026-27 estimates from ESPN season stats.
The 2016 class: draft pick vs. redraft rank Full redraft
Each dot is a 2016 pick. Dashed line = typical redraft rank for each slot (2000–2021 classes). Above the line = beat his slot.
How players like him did
| Length Under +2 in. | 56.2% n=73 | |
| Pre-draft rankings Taken 10+ picks before ESPN's rank | 33.8% n=272 | |
| Age 23 or older | 48.6% n=138 | |
| Path to the draft US college | 53.2% n=1,015 | |
| Position Forward | 51.2% n=570 |
Share of 2000–2021 picks with the same trait who beat their draft slot. Line = 50%.
Measurables & pre-draft
| Height / weight | 6' 9", 231 lbs |
| Wingspan | 6' 10" |
| Age on draft night | 23.0 |
| Born | Methuen, MA |
| ESPN pre-draft rank | #67 overall (#16 SF) |
Picked around him 2016 redraft
| 47 | Jake Layman | redraft #29 |
| 48 | Paul Zipser | redraft #42 |
| 49 | Michael Gbinije | redraft #49 |
| 51 | Ben Bentil | redraft #51 |
| 52 | Joel Bolomboy | redraft #38 |
| 53 | Petr Cornelie | redraft #46 |
How verdicts and reasons are computed: methodology. Steal / bust = 15+ spots better / worse than the typical redraft rank for the slot.