Hoops Habit
Fansided

Indiana Pacers: 5 takeaways from 2017 NBA Summer League

By Adrian Lawhorn

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 06: Joe Young #3 of the Indiana Pacers brings the ball up court against the Chicago Bulls during a preseason game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on October 6, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Pacers defeated the Bulls 115-108. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using the photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 06: Joe Young #3 of the Indiana Pacers brings the ball up court against the Chicago Bulls during a preseason game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on October 6, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Pacers defeated the Bulls 115-108. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using the photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next

5. Georges Niang injured

The 2017 NBA Summer League was supposed to provide an opportunity for second-year power forward Georges Niang to showcase his skills going into the 2017-18 campaign.

Unfortunately, things did not turn out that way for Niang, as he suffered a sprained knee less than two minutes into the Pacers’ first game in Orlando.

Niang was unable to return to action for the remainder of Summer League, and this was a huge blow to his chances to impress Indiana’s coaching staff and management.

Niang was a late second round draft pick in 2016 (50th overall), and the Pacers have an entire group of players who are currently ahead of him on the depth chart.

Georges Niang is a skilled offensive player, but he lacks NBA athleticism. The Orlando Summer League would have been a golden opportunity for him to prove that he can compete with NBA-level talent, but his knee injury prevented that.

Both Niang and his team lost out on a chance to evaluate his progress, so for now, he will remain buried on the depth chart until he can provide proof that he deserves meaningful playing time next season.

Home/Indiana Pacers