The Hawks’ four-game winning streak has come with a reshuffled rotation, and Zuby Ejiofor has gone from afterthought to a real piece of the second unit almost overnight.
Atlanta has had to patch together minutes with Jalen Johnson and Jock Landale missing time, and that has opened the door for a few different looks. Johnson is healthy again after sitting out three straight games, when Lu Dort slid into his spot at the four. Landale’s absence has been tougher to solve, though, and the Hawks have tried both Asa Newell and Ejiofor in that space.
When Newell and Ejiofor shared the floor, the rookie big was the one who stood out. Now Newell is hurt too, and the path has cleared even more for Ejiofor to matter.
That’s a big jump from where he was only a week ago. Before the winning streak started in Indiana, the 6-foot-8 rookie had played in just two games for Atlanta, and both came in garbage time during lopsided contests.
His NBA debut came in Charlotte, where the Hawks blew out the Hornets. Ejiofor logged eight minutes, finished with three points, and picked up three personal fouls.
He didn’t get meaningful run until 10 days later against the Pacers, and that game marked the start of both Atlanta’s streak and his sudden rise into the nightly rotation.
Across the last four games, all wins, Ejiofor has played more than 16 minutes per night and produced more than seven points, four rebounds and two assists a game while shooting efficiently.
His last two outings may have been the most telling. With Newell and Landale both unavailable, and Johnson back against Brooklyn, Atlanta still needed Ejiofor’s versatility.
He has answered the call, and right now he’s the only healthy center behind Onyeka Okongwu. The Hawks have kept winning since he entered the mix, and the rookie has earned a much bigger role for the moment.
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