The Hawks didn’t need long to find out why they spent a first-round pick on Zuby Ejiofor.
Atlanta’s decision to take the St. John’s senior with the No. 23 pick in the 2026 NBA draft drew plenty of skepticism at the time.
Most of the attention in the draft cycle centered on the No. 8 selection, and Ejiofor wasn’t exactly a household name among Hawks fans. ESPN had him at No. 26 on its final big board, The Athletic slotted him at No. 28, and The Ringer had him at No.
- That reaction carried over into the grades, too, with The Ringer handing the pick a C+ and The Athletic opening its analysis with, “I didn’t love the team’s second pick”.
Now, after just nine games, Ejiofor is giving Atlanta exactly the kind of return it was betting on.
The 6-foot-8 forward didn’t see much meaningful run in the Hawks’ first few games, but Jock Landale’s left hip strain opened the door. In Atlanta’s 120-105 win over Washington, Ejiofor stepped right into the rotation and made his presence felt.
In 17 minutes off the bench in his second full game, he went 4-for-6 from the field, hit 1 of 2 from deep, and finished with 11 points. He added three rebounds, two assists and two steals, while posting a plus-18 that trailed only Dyson Daniels in the game.
Afterward, Quin Snyder made it clear what stood out to him.
“The way that Zuby plays fits that identity that we’re working towards: the competitiveness, the toughness, the focus defensively,” Synder praised. The Hawks head coach went on, “He ran the court [and made] all the plays that require energy.
And he’s just playing hard. He provides that.”
Ejiofor has now sat out five of Atlanta’s games this season, but his last two outings have put him on track for a bigger role. Snyder also explained in his postgame comments why the Hawks had him on their radar in the first place.
“I remember when Onsi first showed me a film of him...he was like, 'Hey, Quin, you’ve got to watch this guy,'” Snyder recalled. “You saw a guy [on tape] that competes and is physical.
Those are really rare and valued qualities. He has got them.”
Atlanta’s frontcourt depth was already thin, and it took another hit when second-round pick Henri Vesaar was injured for the season before it even began. That makes Ejiofor’s early emergence even more important for the Hawks, who now have another forward capable of giving them solid rotation minutes.
The draft-day criticism hasn’t mattered much to Atlanta or to Ejiofor. The early results are starting to speak for themselves.
In Other News...
Hawks Frontcourt Faces Another Test With One Key Status Still Unclear
Jalen Johnsons status remains one of the bigger questions hanging over Atlantas frontcourt as the Hawks get ready to face the Wizards. Johnson is listed as questionable with a left ankle sprain and has already missed the last two games, leaving Quin Snyder to keep sorting through a rotation that is already thin with several other Hawks expected to sit because of injuries.
Asa Newell is also on the report, along with Jock Landale, Keshon Gilbert, Mouhamed Gueye and Henri Veesaar, which only adds to the challenge of piecing together enough size and depth for the matchup. Snyder has pointed to Zuby Ejiofors recent play as a bright spot, praising the way he fits into Atlantas defensive identity, but the bigger issue for the Hawks is how much they can ask of that front line if Johnson is not available again. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Rookie Has A Rare Chance To Challenge A Franchise Icon
Kingston Flemings is already getting a kind of rookie assignment most first-year players never see. The recent top-ten pick stepped into his first career start against Washington and handled the moment well enough to help Atlanta come away with a victory, a strong early sign that the Hawks are willing to put real responsibility on his shoulders right away.
The next meeting with the Wizards brings an even more unusual wrinkle, because Flemings is expected to start again while sharing the floor with Trae Young, one of the franchises defining names. For a rookie still settling into the league, it is a rare chance to measure himself in a game that carries both immediate stakes and a little extra symbolism for a Hawks team that has already shown it trusts him in a bigger role than most first-year players get. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Frontcourt Just Took Another Hit Fans Wont Like
The Hawks frontcourt depth took another hit with Asa Newell sidelined after suffering a left great toe hyperextension. Atlanta said he will be reevaluated in about two weeks, though the recovery could stretch beyond that point, adding another layer of uncertainty to a roster already dealing with multiple injuries.
Keshon Gilbert also remains out after undergoing a non-surgical procedure for left knee inflammation, and he is due to be reevaluated in roughly six weeks. With several Hawks still on the shelf, the injury list is starting to shape the teams day-to-day options in a way that could force more lineup shuffling than anyone in Atlanta would like. [Read more 🡒]