Georges Niang Excited to Play Alongside Joel Embiid
Since the Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons era in Philadelphia began, the blueprint of the supporting cast has been simple. Surround the pair of All-Stars with three-point shooting. From the likes of JJ Redick and Marco Belinelli to Seth Curry and Danny Green, deadeye shooters have thrived playing alongside Embiid and Simmons.
Daryl Morey continues to add as much shooting to the Sixers' roster as possible. His latest move in free agency was signing sharpshooting forward Georges Niang. The 27-year-old shot 40% or better from deep in each of his last three seasons with the Utah Jazz.
Niang had his first media availability with the Sixers Friday afternoon. During that time, he spoke about his excitement of getting to play with a player like Embiid.
"Whenever you have a dynamic offensive weapon that can score from the outside, get to the free-throw line, punish the defender inside, it creates an opportunity for the defense to be in a rotation. When the defense is in rotation, that's him creating shots for other people just by being out on the floor. I've never had that in my career. I'm extremely excited for that," said Niang.
One area of Embiid's game that made strides last season was his passing. He said all season that the game moves slower for him now, and it showed. Handling double teams is something he did with much greater success compared to the earlier years of his career.
Niang was spot on describing the attention Embiid draws when he's on the floor. With his ability to score on all three levels, defenses must always account for him.
With his ability to space the floor, Niang is sure to share the court alongside Embiid regularly. Not only can he efficiently shoot from deep, but he is at his best when shooting off the catch. He will make another suitable kick-out option for Embiid when defenses collapse on him.
Getting to play with a dominant force such as Embiid clearly played a role in Niang deciding to sign with Philadelphia. He is sure to be a seamless fit on his new team.
Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.