Niang transformation

HFCS

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Aug 13, 2010
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I think this will be Georges' last season of college ball.

I don't know if he'll get drafted this year but it seems he's doing what he needs to. A 6' 7" player with Niang's rare offensive skill set gets a look if he's in great condition.
 

acgclone

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Feb 21, 2007
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I still put him in a "tweener" category. He won't be able to defend NBA 3's and he'll have a very hard time in the paint against the length the NBA has.

He'll have himself in the mix for an NBA career, and I think he can play himself into a late first rounder. If he gets to that status, it probably would be in his best interest to make the jump after next year.

You never want to miss an opportunity to jump once you've maximized your draft status, IMO.
 

HFCS

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I agree, it helps, but my point is the 60 year old notion that heavier = automatically stronger. The guy is CLEARLY stronger right now from the looks of it with way more muscle. Anybody who works out enough will instantly spot how transformed his chest area is and how it looks very muscular now.

Your lower body is just as important if not more important down low anyway which you can't really see from that (and lower body development, visually, has more to do with genetics sometimes. My legs are not very large, but they are very, very strong).

At the Lebron camp he was still the second heaviest player at the camp just a couple weeks ago. It's not like he transformed into Uthoff, he's starting to look more ideal for his position and skill set.
 

HFCS

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I still put him in a "tweener" category. He won't be able to defend NBA 3's and he'll have a very hard time in the paint against the length the NBA has.

He'll have himself in the mix for an NBA career, and I think he can play himself into a late first rounder. If he gets to that status, it probably would be in his best interest to make the jump after next year.

You never want to miss an opportunity to jump once you've maximized your draft status, IMO.

Need to see how he looks with this new frame, there's a chance he could be a legit scorer and facilitator at the next level. Lots of players make careers as offensive specialists. There are zero players who can guard the best two wing players right now.
 

ISU42

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Did you need a roadmap? Pretty clear he's talking about playing pro ball.


I just don't see guys leaving early to play in Europe is what I was getting at.
 
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4theCYcle

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I saw Georges and Matt in Panera the other day and he looks like a completely different person. Very thin, I'm hoping he puts on enough muscle so that he doesn't get pushed around. Will be interesting to see if he gets any quicker with his moves offensively. EXCITED!

His body has become more refined and lean, which doesn't mean he's going to lose strength based on weight. I've dropped a few pounds because I lost body fat and became more lean, but my strength stayed the same or slightly increased. As long as he's been lifting legs and can keep them under him throughout the year, he shouldn't get battered around too much. If anything, it'll quicken his feet so he can get more separation against a "4" now or he'll play more perimeter ball to spread the floor.

His stamina will improve and make this team an even faster team than it already will be. Hoiball just got faster. Like I said before, Niang will start receiving alleys now, he already proved he can dunk in Cap City League!
 

ISUCY23

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I still put him in a "tweener" category. He won't be able to defend NBA 3's and he'll have a very hard time in the paint against the length the NBA has.

He'll have himself in the mix for an NBA career, and I think he can play himself into a late first rounder. If he gets to that status, it probably would be in his best interest to make the jump after next year.

You never want to miss an opportunity to jump once you've maximized your draft status, IMO.

He's the next Boris Diaw
 

Jacktronic

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So...is someone gonna get the "Is Georges leaving after this season?" thread started or what?
 

Wesley

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Sweet! He is gonna have a great year - especially since he won't have to play the 5 as much during big12 play. Not to mention the example he is setting for the younger guys about the importance of what you put into your body.

That is one reason why he was able to go light and play for the future NBA position. He is more like a 3 size in the NBA. This will be his coming out year at a different position.
 

CyJack13

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He's the next Boris Diaw

Yeah this comparison gets thrown around a lot but Diaw is a much better athlete. Deadspin had a good story about Diaw maxing out the Suns vertical leap measuring rack in flip flops when he first came over from the Hawks. I think it's going to be real hard for Niang to make it, but he's doing everything he can to give himself a chance so good for him.

http://deadspin.com/heres-a-funny-anecdote-about-a-young-absurdly-athletic-1591135909

Here's a scouting report on Diaw from the 2003 draft:

Strengths: According to telebasket.com, has outstanding athletic ability. He is reported to have excellent speed and quickness and is an aggressive offensive rebounder. The report also praises his large wingspan and quick feet. Recent scouting reports say he has improved his rebounding but still needs work on his perimeter shooting.

http://www.nba.com/draft2003/profiles/DiawRiffiodBoris.html
 
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madcityCY

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In an interview somewhere a month or two ago (can't remember who had it), Hoiberg indicated that they asked Niang to put weight on last year when they determined he was going to have to guard the other teams "5".
 

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