Zuby

Ejiofor

The Hawks didn’t play Onyeka Okongwu on Monday, so the available big men moved up a spot in the rotation. Ejiofor, the 23rd overall pick in June’s draft, finished one rebound shy of a double-double in 23 minutes. With Jock Landale in the fold, Ejiofor is in line to be the third center, but there may be some minutes available at the four, depending on the matchup. For now, he’s more valuable in dynasty leagues than redraft leagues.

Ejiofor had an excellent all-around performance for the Hawks on Saturday, recording a complete stat line. The Nets struggled to deal with the rookie’s strength; when Ejiofor established position, he wasn’t being moved off his spot. He was more efficient offensively, and the comfort level shooting three-pointers is a pleasant surprise, given that Zuby wasn’t asked to do much of that at the college level. Even with the competition set to ramp up considerably in the fall, Ejiofor should be in the Hawks’ rotation.

Ejiofor has struggled with his scoring efficiency through three summer league games, but he has still found other ways to impact the game. He made more of an impact on the glass in Salt Lake City, but he has been a solid playmaker and defender in all three games so far. He should end up slotting in as a valuable rotation piece for the Hawks in year one.

After starting slowly, due mainly to Oklahoma City’s Aday Mara, Ejiofor looked far more comfortable offensively in the second half. Excellent on the glass throughout, he made his final three shots after starting 2-of-10 from the field. Eight of Ejiofor’s field-goal attempts came from beyond the arc, a major departure from what he was asked to do at the college level. Due to Atlanta’s need for interior depth, he’ll be in the mix for rotation minutes when training camp begins. That won’t mean much in redraft leagues, but Ejiofor will be a solid option to have rostered in dynasty leagues.

Ejiofor was the Hawks second first-round pick last month, and he has a chance to be a rotation player this season. While he didn’t do much scoring in this game, he found other ways to make an impact, which is certainly an encouraging sign. Ejiofor made his mark on defense and on the glass and should spend time as both a backup power forward and backup center during his rookie season.

After one season at Kansas, Ejiofor spent the next three at St. John’s, breaking out during his junior campaign. The 6-foot-9 pivot was even better as a senior, averaging 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 71.8 percent from the foul line. After being crowned the Big East’s Most Improved Player in 2024-25, Ejiofor won conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2025-26. His length, athleticism and motor are most evident on the defensive end of the floor, which gives Ejiofor a shot at making an immediate impact in the NBA. He’ll likely fill in as a rotational reserve in the frontcourt, which may not give him much of an opportunity to provide much for fantasy managers.