The Cleveland Cavaliers Minivan arrives! Time to run 2k simulations, speculate on his fit, and overreact in joy.
After inking a new deal with sixth man guard Caris LeVert, the Cavaliers swiftly brought in career 40.3 percent three-point shooter and former teammate of Donovan Mitchell in Utah, Georges Niang.
Niang has earned his spot as a constant fan favorite wherever he plays for his unique playstyle and nickname “The Minivan”. He’s not a speedy, athletic forward, but his deadeye shooting and physical toughness attracts fanbases to his presence.
Niang will come to the Cavs on a three-year deal worth $26 million, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. His contract leaves roughly $4 million left on the Cavaliers’ full Mid-Level Exception while still maintaining their $4.5 million Bi-Annual Exception. Bringing in a proven shooter on a team-friendly deal gives the Cavs room to maneuver for larger deals either later in free agency or in the coming season.
In his 2022-2023 campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers, Niang averaged 8.2 points per game in 19.4 minutes every night. His long range shooting placed him in the 80th percentile of forward shooters and 98th percentile of forwards from the corner three spot, per Cleaning the Glass (subscription required).
Niang spent four years alongside Donovan Mitchell on the Utah Jazz. Other than one season lost to injury in Utah, Niang never shot below 40 percent behind the arc. He was one of many players in Utah that helped shape Mitchell’s ability to dish out to sharpshooters on a drive. Bringing him to Cleveland is the first of many moves the Cavaliers can make to fill out their shooting and overall depth.
The addition of the Minivan improves the Cavs’ bench rotation and overall shooting. As a veteran with playoff experience, how will Niang affect Cleveland right away?
A lot, and here’s three key ways the stretch forward will help the Cavs, especially.
We’ll begin with his knockdown style.
No.1: Floor Spacing
Let’s get the most obvious out of the way. The Cavs need shooting badly, and Niang provides that.
His aforementioned accuracy from deep immediately gives the Cavaliers a legitimate threat against any defense.
In his last three seasons, Niang has averaged roughly 2.5 rebounds per game. He might not be pulling down double-double nights on the boards, but Niang’s stocky build at 6-foot-7, 230 pounds gives him the durability to play up against tougher interior presences.
To an extent, Niang’s shooting and size places him in the same role as Kevin Love and Dean Wade filled over the last season.
Love was sorely missed in the NBA Playoffs. While Niang is not a one-for-one replacement, the former Iowa State forward brings the Cavaliers an answer to one of their biggest question marks last year. Their depth in the post is expanding, and they are doing it by adding more shooting to surround their developing core four.
As Garland and Mobley continue to improve and raise their ranking across the NBA, Niang will provide a dependable teammate that gives both players the chance to learn how to win.
Niang can do just a little bit of everything in Cleveland, and he doesn’t need the ball long to do it. 70.7 percent of Niang’s three-point attempts were off of zero dribbles, per NBA.com’s stat tracking.
While shooting from deep is a fantastic quality to improve the Cavs, there’s more to Niang’s game both on and off the court that impacts the Cavaliers right away. His veteran experience might give the Cavs the edge they need next post season.
No. 2: Playoff performer
As every Cleveland fan (disappointingly) learned this year, the regular season and postseason are two entirely separate beasts. Bringing in a free agent leaves the Cavs up to the threat that they will disappear in the playoffs.
Thankfully for Cleveland, Niang continually provides all year.
The Minivan has played in seven postseason runs, and Niang’s three-point percentage in the playoffs is 40.3 percent for his career. His rebounds and overall points per game remain relatively similar, as well. With efficient scoring and hustle on every play, bringing Niang off the bench during a seven-game series provides the Cavs with a jolt of life and energy they so desperately need at times.
As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com pointed out on Twitter, Niang has the most playoff experience of any current Cavalier.
Having Niang in the locker room during the postseason will create a driven culture and focus. And his mindset translates to the court, where his consistent production may inspire his teammates to push onward in difficult moments.
As a proven playoff talent, Niang is a no-brainer for Cleveland. The Cavs need the right bench pieces. Too many of their players were inconsistent in the bright lights, but Niang will be a constant positive impact for a team looking to contend with the top teams out East.
Niang does more than fit into what Cleveland already does, though. He opens a door to an entirely new scheme the Cavaliers can implement, and it involves unlocking the potential of a possible future Hall of Famer and Cleveland legend.
No. 3: Mobley’s new best friend
With all due respect to Jarrett Allen (cue Mark Jackson), his lack of floor spacing limited how J.B. Bickerstaff could position and play Evan Mobley at times. By slotting Niang in as a secondary four, Mobley will have an opportunity to develop his talents as a center and passer.
There has been plenty of speculation regarding Mobley as a long term five and concern over how to maximize Mobley’s potential as a playmaker. With the Cavs searching to add elite shooting across the team, placing Mobley at the center of it all gives the former No. 3 pick a new role in Cleveland.
Both starting centers in this year’s NBA Finals, Nikola Jokic and Bam Adebayo, are high level passing bigs with a knack for finding the open shooter. Viewers will often see either one holding the ball near the elbow in position either to post up their defender or watch for an off-ball screen that opens up a shooter.
Cleveland has already seen flashes of Mobley’s instinctive passing. In Mobley’s two seasons, he has averaged 2.7 assists per game and 1.8 turnovers. His stats are nothing mind-blowing, but with more opportunities to learn, his offensive game would benefit tremendously.
Overall, Niang as a Cavalier is a worthwhile addition that is sure to become a beloved role player quick.