The preseason is nearly wrapped, and Zuby Ejiofor is already starting to carve out a lane for himself in Atlanta’s plans.
The late first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft still doesn’t have a defined role for his rookie year, but the coaching staff is clearly giving him more to chew on as camp rolls along. Each preseason game has asked something different of him, especially on the defensive end, where the matchups have been a crash course against frontcourt talent he hadn’t yet seen much of.
That included Aday Mara, Oklahoma City’s first selection in the 2026 NBA Draft. Ejiofor had already gone against him in summer league, but this version of Mara came with a different offensive profile and a heavier workload inside the Thunder’s attack.
“They utilized [Mara] a lot more as an offensive hub this time around,” Ejiofor said after Atlanta’s win.
That shift mattered. Mara isn’t just parked near the rim and asked to be a finishing piece anymore, even if it’s still preseason and Oklahoma City isn’t about to funnel its whole offense through a rookie. The trust already being placed in him stands out, and so does the fact that Atlanta had to adjust to it on the fly.
“He was able to make some reads at the top of the key. We found ourselves in some miscommunication early on, but we were able to clean it up towards the end and come out with a victory,” Ejiofor said.
At 7'3", Mara’s value is still built around the basics first, but the pre-draft buzz around his ability to eventually become a real offensive engine is why that added responsibility was worth noting. And in the modern NBA, big men are asked to do far more than protect the paint. They’re expected to initiate, process, and punish mistakes when defenses get sloppy.
Ejiofor felt that pressure, but he also handled it well. His edge was obvious throughout the night, and his energy gave Atlanta some real juice. That same aggression can land him in foul trouble, too - the rookie whistle is a very real issue - but it also helps him make plays all over the floor.
There were moments when Atlanta overcommitted and Mara, along with others, made them pay. Even so, Ejiofor delivered several important stops against his fellow rookie when it counted.
He also filled it up offensively. In 23 minutes, Ejiofor finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists as Atlanta picked up its third straight preseason win.
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Jock Landale has been watching that process closely, and his message has centered on the same thing Atlanta keeps emphasizing internally, communication and chemistry. He said he is committed to the Hawks and pointed to the work still ahead on offensive and defensive communication, a reminder that preseason is as much about forming connections as it is about results. The trend is encouraging, but the real test will be whether it carries over once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
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Against Indiana, the Hawks showed how many different players are getting involved in the effort, with multiple contributors crashing the offensive glass and keeping possessions alive. Whether it is a point of emphasis from the coaching staff or simply a sharper edge from the roster, the early returns suggest Atlanta may be addressing one of the issues that has hurt it before, even if the real test still waits when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Preseason Is Already Raising Questions About Two Rotation Battles
The Hawks preseason has given the coaching staff a useful early look at the back end of the rotation, even with key players getting rest in recent games. Atlanta is 3-1, and the focus has shifted to which reserves can turn short audition minutes into a real role once the games start counting.
Jalen Fleming has made a case for steady backup point guard duty, while Joe Kispert has been working through a rough stretch on both offense and defense. Kobe Johnson, Jalen Wilson and RayJ Dennis have each flashed something in limited chances, and Lu Dort has only gotten into one game so far, leaving the final roster picture and the pecking order still very much in flux. [Read more 🡒]