Zuby

Ejiofor

Landale is available to play for the first time since he injured his hip in an October 31 game against the Pelicans. His return could potentially push Zuby Ejiofor out of the rotation entirely, even with Asa Newell (toe) unavailable.

Okongwu suffered a throat contusion early in the first quarter when he was inadvertently elbowed by Nets forward Julius Randle. The good news is that shortly after the Hawks listed Okongwu as questionable to return, he returned to the bench and got the all-clear. Zuby Ejiofor replaced Okongwu at the time of the injury.

Landale has missed the last three games with a hip injury. Zuby Ejiofor continues to soak up the vacated bench minutes in Landale’s absence. Ejiofor had 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in Friday’s win over the Wizards, but still isn’t playing enough to be relevant in redraft leagues.

Newell exited early from Wednesday’s game and will remain out against Washington. Zuby Ejiofor and Corey Kispert will likely fill out a few minutes in his place, though if Jalen Johnson (ankle) is back, that may not be necessary.

The big man from St. John’s had an impact off the bench in this game and was a big factor in why the Hawks got big leads when the bench was in the game. Asa Newell (toe) left the game early and Jock Landale (hip) is already out, so if you wanted to stream in Zuby in deeper redraft leagues, he could have some value for rebounds. In dynasty leagues, you should be happy that he had this performance and flashed what he might be capable of with more minutes.

Landale will miss a second straight game as he recovers from a strained hip. First-round pick Zuby Ejiofor played 15 minutes off the bench in Monday’s win over the Pacers, which isn’t enough to make him a player worth adding in redraft leagues.

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.