Atlanta Hawks Overseas Gems: Ekpe Udoh
When the Atlanta Hawks look to upgrade the roster this summer, they should think about taking a look at former top-10 pick Ekpe Udoh.
The Atlanta Hawks have had some recent success with overseas players.
Dennis Schroder is the most glaring success story but they have also found some cheap rotation players and have shown a willingness to take shots on guys from leagues overseas. Malcolm Delaney and Pero Antic have been two guys that the team has given chances to, with varying degrees of success.
This philosophy follows the San Antonio Spurs model that the Hawks have tried to mirror. And this summer, there are some intriguing overseas players that could make an impact in NBA rotations.
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While Ekpe Udoh may not provide the sizzle and excitement like a Milos Teodosic does, he is still someone to keep an eye on.
Udoh was the sixth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors and was considered a bouncy, project big man with nice upside as a rim runner. Udoh played five seasons in the NBA before going overseas and was not a very impactful rotation player in that time.
The former Baylor standout averaged just 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game in 16.9 minutes per contest. Udoh was never able to tap into his great potential, particularly on the defensive end, enough to become a mainstay on an NBA roster.
But after going overseas, Udoh’s stock has risen. And it is especially high at the moment.
This past year, Udoh led Fenerbahce (Turkey) to the Euroleague title and was the Euroleague Final Four MVP. In 31 games, Udoh averaged 12.1 points, 7.8 boards, 2.2 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game. He also shot 58.4 percent from the floor.
And in the Final Four, Udoh was dominant on both ends of the floor, as he posted averages of 14.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 3.5 blocks per contest. Udoh has looked like a potentially solid backup NBA center that fits the mold of today’s NBA.
The Hawks could use a more modern center to complement Dwight Howard. Udoh could provide a nice change of pace off of the bench for Atlanta and give the team some more versatility with its lineups. His ability to pass, rebound, and block shots make him the perfect backup big for Atlanta’s system.
Udoh should also be very affordable. With his past NBA struggles and his age (30 years old), Udoh can likely be had for a fairly low price. That makes the risk of bringing him on fairly low and could make the reward very solid. Not to mention the fact that Travis Schlenk, the next Hawks’ GM, was in the Golden State front office when Udoh was drafted.
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If the Hawks can uncover a gem in Udoh, it can have its backup center and provide some needed depth in the frontcourt at a low price. And maybe, just maybe, Udoh has tapped into the potential that made him a high draft choice and is a late bloomer.