Zuby Ejiofor made the kind of preseason statement the Hawks needed, and he did it in a 113-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The rookie big man was all over the floor in 23 minutes, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists. More than the box score, though, it was the way he played that stood out. Ejiofor attacked the glass, carved out second chances and kept giving Atlanta useful minutes in a game that stayed tight all the way through.
He checked in for Jock Landale at the 5:46 mark of the first quarter and wasted no time making his presence felt. Early on, one of his first two baskets came on an alley-oop from two-way guard RayJ Dennis. Not long after, he fed Corey Kispert for a three and then closed out the opening frame by going 2-for-2 at the free-throw line.
That was only the start.
Ejiofor kept finding ways to matter as the game wore on. He picked up another assist to Kispert for a second made three, then came back after a brief rest and buried a three of his own to push Atlanta ahead 77-70. Oklahoma City answered and tied it 79-79 heading into the fourth, but Ejiofor kept the Hawks steady.
He opened the final quarter with the first bucket to make it 81-79, then added two more free throws after a RayJ Dennis score. That stretched Atlanta’s edge to 85-81. Ejiofor wasn’t done there, either - he scored again to make it 87-81 before Quin Snyder sat him down at 8:55 and brought him back for the closing stretch at 5:38.
By then, it had turned into a fight. Ejiofor missed a three with 2:13 left, but he chased down his own miss and kicked it out to Hawks forward Jalen Wilson, a small play that summed up his night pretty well.
He kept possessions alive. He made extra effort matter.
The most eye-catching part of the performance was his work on the offensive glass. Ejiofor grabbed five offensive rebounds, part of a night in which five Hawks finished with at least five boards. He trailed only Asa Newell, who had 10 rebounds, and his nine total rebounds were the second-most on the team.
For Atlanta, that kind of production has obvious value. The Hawks have been hit hard on the boards before, and Ejiofor’s physical style gives them a different look. With Henri Veesaar tearing his ACL in September, his development becomes even more important for a young roster trying to piece together frontcourt minutes.
Snyder’s decision to play Ejiofor right behind Landale already looks like a smart one. Atlanta has leaned small since the Horford-Millsap era, but Ejiofor’s shooting gives the Hawks another five-out option, and his speed could create problems for bigger lineups.
For one preseason game, at least, he looked ready to fit right in.
In Other News...
Hawks Still Have One Roster Hole They May Need To Trade For
The Hawks have spent preseason trying to sort out a few lingering roster questions, and the biggest ones remain on the defensive end. Atlanta has looked for more stability behind the starting group, especially at backup power forward and in that tricky third-center spot, where the margin for error gets thin quickly once injuries or foul trouble show up. For a team trying to firm up its identity, those are not minor details.
One proposed fix would send Josh Hart, Corey Kispert, Asa Newell and future second-round picks from Atlanta to the Clippers in exchange for a more dependable third center and some defensive depth. It is the kind of deal that would ripple beyond the Hawks, since the Knicks and Clippers would also have to weigh the roster and contract fallout, but it speaks to a basic reality Atlanta may still be facing: even after preseason, one more move could be needed to close the gap. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Rotation Battle Is Heating Up Right Before The Opener
With one preseason game left before the opener in Orlando, the Hawks are still sorting through a rotation that has not been fully available for evaluation. Key players have sat out at different points, which has left the staff balancing recent strong showings from Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Onyeka Okongwu and CJ McCollum against the bigger question of how the group will actually fit once the games count.
Aaron Wiggins, Lu Dort, Kingston Flemings, Mouhamed Gueye and Jock Landale are shaping up as the top rotation candidates, with Flemings expected to have a meaningful bench role. Beyond that, the picture remains fluid for Corey Kispert, Dorian Finney-Smith, Asa Newell and Zuby Ejiofor, whose minutes could swing depending on health and how they perform in the final tune-up. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Fans Can Finally Say What Bronny Coverage Exposed
The conversation around Bronny James has taken up plenty of oxygen this season, but Gilbert Arenas recently pointed out something Hawks fans have noticed too: the No. 1 pick in 2024, Zaccharie Risacher, has not drawn nearly the same level of national attention. While Bronny came into the league as a late second-round selection and every move has been dissected, Risacher has mostly flown under the radar despite carrying far bigger draft expectations and a much more direct role in Atlantas long-term plans.
DeMarcus Cousins added another layer to that imbalance by noting that Risacher is rarely mentioned in the usual debates about European and American players, even though his profile should make him part of the conversation. For the Hawks, it is a reminder that scrutiny in the NBA is not always tied to draft position or opportunity, and that a player can be shaping the narrative around him without much of the league realizing it. [Read more 🡒]