The Hawks are about to spend the next two weeks figuring out what they really have in two young forwards.
Atlanta opens preseason play Oct. 5 at State Farm Arena against the Memphis Grizzlies, and with starters usually not logging 30-plus minutes in these exhibition games, the spotlight shifts quickly to the bench. For Asa Newell and Zuby Ejiofor, that means a real chance to make a case before the regular season arrives.
Newell is heading into his second NBA season after spending most of the second half of last year with the College Park Skyhawks. Ejiofor is just getting started as a pro after four seasons in college. They bring different tools to the Hawks’ second unit, and the five preseason games will help sort out who deserves more run once the games count.
Newell’s rookie numbers with Atlanta were modest - 5.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game - but the way he played mattered more than the raw totals. He showed the kind of quick-trigger offensive game teams value now, making fast decisions with the ball and keeping the offense moving. Whether it was attacking the paint or firing on the catch, he rarely held things up.
He also knocked down 38.7% of his 3-pointers, even though he only attempted 1.7 per game. That mattered because questions followed him out of college about whether the shot would translate. For Atlanta, the early returns suggested he could grow into a stretch four.
The 21-year-old also flashed more scoring punch in College Park, where he averaged 22.8 points and 8.5 rebounds. The flip side was on defense, where bigger forwards and centers gave him trouble. He needs to get stronger and bring more physicality on both ends, and if he can raise both his 3-point volume and his defensive level in preseason, he could grab most of the backup power forward minutes.
Ejiofor brings a different kind of appeal. The 22-year-old out of St.
John’s already gave Hawks fans a preview of his game in Summer League, showing strength, size, quickness, and versatility. Now he gets a larger stage to keep proving it.
In his senior season, Ejiofor posted 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.2 steals. At 6-foot-9, he has the lateral quickness to hedge high on screens and switch one through five, exactly the kind of big-man mobility Quin Snyder wants. He can also put the ball on the floor, make quick reads, and use his frame to power his way to the rim.
That said, his shot from deep is still the big question. Ejiofor shot 30.5% from 3-point range on 1.6 attempts per game in his senior year.
His processing and defensive tools point to real upside, but the NBA will ask more of him than college did. If the jumper comes along, his defensive versatility could end up giving him the edge over Newell’s offensive ceiling.
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