Joel Embiid Reacts to Nic Batum's Impressive Debut vs. Wizards

Aside from Joel Embiid, one of the biggest standouts from the Philadelphia 76ers' win over the Washington Wizards Monday was Nic Batum. Despite joining the team on the fly, the veteran forward managed to come in and instantly provide a lift.

Batum was part of the James Harden trade with the LA Clippers, but arrived late due to personal reasons. He had minimal time to prepare for his debut, but that clearly didn't bother him. From the moment he entered the game, Batum showed what kind of value he's going to bring to the Sixers.

In 17 minutes off the bench, Batum recorded 11 points, two rebounds, and one steal. He connected on all but one of his five shot attempts and knocked down three of his four shots from beyond the arc.

Following the win, Joel Embiid was asked his thoughts on Batum's performance. He enjoyed his aggressiveness from deep and feels his play could complement him on the floor.

"It's great. Anytime you have quick-trigger shooters, it just makes it easier. Especially for me," Embiid told reporters. "Every team just wants to double the center, two or three guys at me every single time. Any time you have guys like that that can just get it up quick and actually make them, I think it's great for us."

Since taking over in the Sixers' front office, Daryl Morey has done a great job of surrounding Embiid with shooting. As Embiid mentioned, having someone like Batum out there alongside him allows him to be more effective.

When flanked by efficient three-point shooters, defenses are forced to pick their poison. This opens up the floor more for the reigning MVP and allows him to dissect the defense as a scorer or facilitator.

Over the past three years, Batum has shot the ball from three at a nearly 40% clip. If he can continue to do that in Philly, he'll be the perfect complementary piece for the Sixers' second unit.