Georges Niang spent years seeing Stephen Curry from the wrong side of the floor. Now the veteran forward has joined the Golden State Warriors, giving him a chance to experience the player who once made late-game leads feel shaky.
That change helps explain why Niang wanted to come to Golden State. The Warriors signed him to a one-year, $3.9 million deal after he missed the 2025-26 season with a left foot injury. He is a career 40% three-point shooter and enters his 11th NBA season.
Niang explained his attraction to the Golden State during an appearance on the Not Even D2 podcast. His view of the Warriors comes from years of trying to stop Curry and watching games turn quickly even when his own team appeared to have control.
Nov 24, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives past Philadelphia 76ers forward Georges Niang (20) in the first quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
“I think it’s the way that they play. There’s a lot of player movement, body movement, and ball movement. And then when you play with a guy like Stephen Curry, I don’t think people understand how much you worry about a guy like that,” Niang said during an appearance on the Not Even D2 podcast. “There’s been so many times where we’ve been up 15 or 16 against the Warriors in the fourth quarter with like two minutes to go and we’re still like, ‘All right, like the game’s not over.'”
That memory says plenty about Curry’s impact without needing a highlight reel. Even a double-digit lead could feel temporary because one Curry run could change the game before an opponent had time to settle back in.
Niang is now stepping into the team that caused those problems. That gives his comments a different edge because he is no longer describing Curry as the player opponents have to survive. He is about to share the floor with him.
Georges Niang Is Getting A Front-Row Seat To Curry’s Magic
Niang also described what made Curry so difficult to prepare for during those old matchups. The threat was not limited to his shooting because Curry could create plays in ways that forced defenders to react constantly.
Apr 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts against the Phoenix Suns during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
“But Steph is like amazing. He’s throwing the ball behind his head, hitting someone for a dunk. He’s making a deep three, then stealing the ball, getting a layup. It’s just like he’s a magician out there,” Niang said during the podcast.
That is also where Niang could fit naturally in Golden State. He does not need the ball every possession, and his career 40% mark from three-point range gives Curry another floor-spacer who can punish defenses for helping too aggressively.
Niang missed all of last season, so his first task will be getting back into a regular NBA rhythm. Golden State also needs his shooting as the Warriors try to add more scoring around Curry after ranking 22nd in field-goal percentage and 16th in three-point percentage last season.
For Niang, though, the biggest adjustment may be psychological. He spent years believing that a late lead was never safe when Curry was on the other side.
Now he gets to see why from the inside. The same player who once made Niang worry about the clock is now the teammate he hopes can help him make another playoff run.
More NBA News:
Read the full article here