The Cleveland Cavaliers need everybody to contribute right now.
They faced the Miami Heat without four of their key contributors.
Darius Garland (rest), Dean Wade (knee), Caris LeVert (wrist), and Isaac Okoro (shoulder) were all in street clothes, so there were more shots up for grabs for everybody else.
Notably, Georges Niang made the most of his opportunity.
As shown by Cavs Notes on X, the veteran small forward scored 15 points with three triples in the win.
With that final three-pointer, he reached 800 from beyond the arc in his career.
Georges Niang tallied 15 PTS tonight and with his 3rd and final 3FG, he reached 800 triples for his @NBA career. https://t.co/Cg5rTvhJuj
— Cavs Notes (@CavsNotes) January 30, 2025
Niang has been a very productive player off the bench this season.
He’s repeatedly stepped up on defense, taking charges, staying in front of bigger and quicker wings, and putting his body on the line on almost every single play.
His hustle on defense has been massive for the second unit.
In addition, he remains an above-average shooter from beyond the arc.
With the way the Cavs are spreading the floor and creating wide-open shots from the perimeter, having him positioned outside the paint has kept opposing defenses on their toes.
On the downside, the Cavs are slightly above the luxury tax threshold, which means Niang could be a candidate for a trade at the deadline.
He has another year left on his contract, and with $8.2 million owed for next season, it wouldn’t be hard to find trade suitors.
Hopefully, that won’t be the case, as he’s given Kenny Atkinson very valuable minutes.
NEXT: Donovan Mitchell Continued A Notable Scoring Surge On Wednesday
